Today in military history: Iraqi Scud missile hits US barracks

On Feb. 25, 1991, a Scud missile fired by Iraq hit a U.S. military barracks in Saudi Arabia, killing twenty-eight Army reservists.

At the height of the Persian Gulf War, Iraq shot a number of Scud missiles at Coalition troops and at Israeli targets inside Israel. The Scud is not exactly known for its accuracy – it’s an unguided missile that you pretty much fire and hope it doesn’t get intercepted by a Patriot battery.

On Feb. 25, 1991, a Scud missile got through the Patriot batteries in Saudi Arabia, hitting a military barracks near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. 

The barracks was the makeshift home of a group of Army Reserve Quartermasters from Pennsylvania. When the missile hit, it was 8:40pm and the troops were winding down, eating dinner, or relaxing for the night. 

Twenty-eight soldiers died from the attack. Another 110 were hospitalized and over 150 experienced minor physical injuries and/or subsequent mental health problems. It was the single largest loss of life for American troops in the entire Gulf War — more than one-third of all U.S. soldiers killed during the war.

Featured Image: Military personnel sift through the remains of a warehouse hit by an Iraqi Scud missile Feb. 25, 1991, killing 27 U.S. Army Reserve personnel and wounding 100 others during Operation Desert Storm. The building housed the 475th Quartermaster Group (Provisional).