On February 24, 1991, elements of the US Army's VII Corps launched one of the most successful military operations in the history of modern warfare. VII Corps conducted the main attack of the ground war in operation Desert Storm. VII Corps' mission was to attack and defeat Iraqi army units in southern Iraq and then advance into western Kuwait. To accomplish this mission with minimum friendly casualties, VII Corps' strategy called for most of its forces to advance into Iraq to the west of the main Iraqi defenses, make a 90 degree turn to the east, and execute a three-division assault on the western flank of the Iraqi forces.

This strategy worked better than anyone expected. In less than four days of fighting, VII Corps' forces destroyed 1,350 Iraqi tanks, 1,224 personnel carriers, and over 1,200 trucks and other vehicles. Overall, operation Desert Storm represents the fastest and most complete victory in US military history.

Such an overwhelming victory could not have been won without a well-conceived campaign strategy and a comprehensive strategic plan. To achieve success in Desert Storm, VII Corps' commanders had to plan and coordinate the actions of 146,000 US and British soldiers and almost 50,000 vehicles. And the planning could not stop with actual combat operations. For every day of offensive combat operations, VII Corps' forces needed 5.6 million gallons of fuel, 3.3 million gallons of water, and over 6,000 tons of ammunition. During most of the attack, VII Corps' supplies had to be transported in trucks over difficult terrain, and those trucks had to keep up with rapidly moving combat forces. This meant that VII Corps' strategic plan had to specify where supply bases would be located and how support troops and supplies would be protected from Iraqi attacks.