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Reports from Kuwait: PHOTOS: View bonus IMAGES from Kuwait.
SLIDE SHOW: Delta Company in Kuwait.
About the trip (3/2/08) By RUSTY DENNEN
But what they are doing in this tiny desert nation is critical to American and coalition troops fighting in Iraq. Since mid-September, about 330 Virginia Army National Guard soldiers from the Fredericksburg Armory have been stationed in the oil-rich country on the Persian Gulf along with thousands of other U.S. servicemen and women. The citizen soldiers of Delta Company, 3rd Battalion 116th Infantry, and Company F of the 429th Brigade Support Battalion put their jobs and family on hold to protect a seaport through which vast amounts of supplies flow north into Iraq. Free Lance–Star Reporter Rusty Dennen and Staff Photographer Mike Morones join these soldiers from Virginia today for two weeks to report on their mission, and how they are doing in an ancient land worlds away from the lives of most Americans. Watch for their reports from Kuwait in The Free Lance–Star, on fredericksburg.com, and on WFLS and other Star Radio Group stations. Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431 LITTLE NATION PLAYS MAJOR WAR ROLE About the size of New Jersey, Kuwait sits between Iraq and Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf. Capital—Kuwait City. Population—About 2.5 million, including about 1.3 million foreign workers. Religion—Muslim, of which 70 percent are Sunni. Arabic is the official language, though English is widely spoken. Climate—Dry desert, intensely hot summers and short, cool winters. Natural resources—Petroleum (Kuwait has about 10 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves), fish, shrimp and natural gas. Government—Constitutional emirate, which secured its independence from the United Kingdom in June 1961. Recent history—Kuwait was overrun by Iraq in August 1990. Following weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a ground assault in February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. Currency—Dinar, which trades at about $3.6 dollars per dinar. —CIA World Factbook |
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