Ready to Serve? The 48th, 155th, and 256th Brigades and the Round-Out Concept During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

This thesis studies the events that unfolded when three National Guard roundout brigades were activated for Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The mobilization process for reserve component units is studied from the president's decision to mobilize to the unit's receipt of the alert order and then their post-mobilization training. All three units reported their ability to deploy when activated based on the standards applicable at the time of their activation. Once activated the units status for deployment changed based on the realities of their ability to conduct their wartime mission and the additional requirements placed on them after they mobilized. After activation the units went through a long drawn out series of postmobilization training events in order to get prepared for deployment to the theater of operations. In the end none of the three brigades deployed and only the 48th Brigade was certified and validated for deployment. This thesis will show that unit readiness, unrealistic requirements, and time all played their part in stopping the brigades from deploying.