Lt. Scott Meehan, 4th PSYOPS Group (Desert Storm)

In December 1990, during the buildup to Operation Desert Storm, Lt. Scott Meehan deployed to Saudi Arabia with the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), 8th Psychological Operations Battalion, serving as a Military Intelligence officer. Initially stationed in Riyadh, his primary responsibility was monitoring incoming intelligence message traffic from frontline units. He analyzed field reports and compiled intelligence summaries for the battalion commander.

As coalition forces prepared for offensive operations, Major Thomas Gerblick, the lead offensive planner for Lieutenant General Walter Boomer of I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), recognized the need for dedicated Psychological Operations (PSYOP) support alongside ground combat units. He requested PSYOP assets from the 4th Psychological Operations Group. He formed 26 loudspeaker teams consisting of 46 Army PSYOP soldiers, 27 U.S. Marines, and several Kuwaiti linguists. They delivered surrender appeals, instructions, and strategic messaging directly to Iraqi forces.

These teams were deployed forward with ground combat elements in the Saudi desert near the Kuwait border, where I MEF was staging for the liberation of Kuwait. Lt. Meehan was among the Army personnel reassigned to this forward position. In addition to supporting psychological operations efforts, he played a role in intelligence collection by questioning captured enemy prisoners of war.

Sources:

All I Could Be (Scott Meehan)

-U.S. Marines in the Persian Gulf, 1990–1991: With the I Marine Expeditionary Force in Desert Shield and Desert Storm (History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps)

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About Jeremy Albright

Avid military historian and collector, focusing on Global War on Terror. Also a volunteer at American Armory Museum (as Desert Storm-GWOT exhibit specialist and Graphic Designer)

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