The Gulf War

Discover what it was like to serve in the Gulf War, from both British and American perspectives, in this special online event held in partnership with the US Army Heritage and Education Center.

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The Gulf War of 1990-91 involved a coalition of 35 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. When the ground offensive began on 24 February 1991, it took just 100 hours for a ceasefire to be declared and victory achieved.

In this special virtual event, hear from British and American service people who fought in the Gulf and learn more about the US Army Heritage and Education Center’s (USAHEC) latest exhibition on the conflict.

The event will begin with a presentation on the current USAHEC exhibition, opened in 2020. It uses the Center’s rich artefact and archival collection to tell the story of how the war unfolded and how it was fought, and the significant changes and transformation that had occurred following the Vietnam War.

The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion that will explore what it was like to serve in the Gulf War and the lessons learned from the campaign. It will feature American and British veterans of the conflict, Jeff Hawks and Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick.

Jeff Hawks is the Education Director for the Army Heritage Center Foundation. He is also a veteran US Army Infantryman with service in the Gulf War and on the Korean DMZ. A former Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University, Jeff holds a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Political Science from the University of Connecticut, and is a Pennsylvania certified Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Earth and Space Science teacher.

Molly Bompane began her army museum career working at the First Armoured Division Museum in Baumholder, Germany. In 2007, she joined the staff of USAHEC as the Curator of Photography. In 2012, she became Chief Curator, US Army Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany before returning to USAHEC in 2017 as the Curator of Arms and Ordnance. She served as Curator and Team Lead for their latest exhibition, ‘This Will Not Stand: The US Army’s Road to Victory During the Persian Gulf War’, which opened in 2020. 

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick was a tank commander in the Gulf War. He joined the 17th/21st Lancers in Munster, West Germany, serving as a Sabre Troop Leader and then as Recce Troop Leader. He was short toured from an operational tour in Northern Ireland to be attached with a squadron of 17th/21st Lancers to the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars Battlegroup for the Gulf War.

About the US Army Heritage and Education Center

The US Army Heritage and Education Center engages, inspires, and informs the Army, the American people, and global partners with a unique and enduring source of knowledge and thought. The Center is an integral part of the War College and maintains the knowledge repositories that support scholarship and research about the US Army and its operating environment.