“Don’t Run Out Of Gas!” Brute Force Logistics With 2nd Corps Support Command In Desert Storm

Bob and Barbara (Hinson) McFarlin were married in September 1962, when he was attending Trinity University in San Antonio. He was earning a physics degree while also participating in ROTC. At the time, two years of ROTC were mandatory, and it paid $27 per month. Bob commissioned in 1964 as an Ordnance Officer with an Infantry detail for the first two years. In 1966, he deployed to Vietnam, serving in Vung Tau as a logistics advisor to the province government, while Barbara and their son returned to her home in Prescott, Arizona. The McFarlins kept in touch by writing letters, which took about 10 days to cross the globe, or by MARS calls (Military Auxiliary Radio System). When Bob returned from Vietnam, they were stationed at Aberdeen, Maryland, where he was in the Ordnance Advanced Course and the Maintenance Course. Their next assignment was Ft. Carson, Colorado, where he served in an Ordnance Battalion. They were stationed in Nuremberg, Germany, next, where Bob commanded a Maintenance Company in 1st Armored Division, which had been reflagged from 4th Armored Division. Subsequent assignments included Ft. Lewis, Leavenworth, Korea, and Ft. Lee, where he earned a masters’ degree in logistics management. While Bob was serving in Korea, Barbara returned to Prescott with their two children. While serving at the Pentagon, Bob was promoted below the zone to Lieutenant Colonel, and command of the 5th Infantry Division Maintenance Battalion took the McFarlins to Ft. Polk, Louisiana. After attending the Army War College, Bob was assigned to Army Material Command at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, where he served as the Chief of Staff for Armament and Munitions. When his name came out on the 06 command list, he was assigned to DISCOM. In the summer of 1989, he was assigned to the 2nd Corps Support Command. His final assignment in the Army was at the Defense Logistics Agency. He describes his experiences serving in Germany under VII Corps, focusing on the Fulda Gap. He notes there was always an element of the offensive in every plan they developed. His unit was to be augmented with National Guard, Army Reserve, and German units. Bob remembers watching the news about Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait on Armed Forces Network, and learning that the XVIII Airborne Corps was deploying. He quickly realized that various parts of his command would deploy as well. He describes the secret planning in preparation for movement to the Desert, but even so, he remembers seeing news of his deployment leaked on TV. After one reconnaissance to Saudi Arabia, his advanced party deployed to Log Base Alpha. He recalls the challenges of deploying a Medical Brigade including 15 hospitals. He remembers the greatest successes coming from his hard-working Soldiers. While the unit was deployed, Barbara had responsibilities to the spouses and families back in Germany, and even in the United States. She recalls how difficult it was maintaining communication and spreading news. There had been no thought about how commanders’ spouses would travel to different posts to engage with their subordinate counterparts. Overall, however, the deployment process and family support plan worked well due to the diligence and creativity of the leaders involved, and the 2nd COSCOM achieved success. After the fighting was over, the COSCOM had to continue its support mission, and it also had to include humanitarian aid for Iraqi refugees and Prisoners of War. At the end of the interview, the McFarlins reflect on their service to the nation and the pride they feel. Bob notes, “We got the job done!”