Desert storm hits Kuwait

Kuwait: Coalition soldiers found themselves cleaning their gear after the third dust storm in as many weeks left a coat of sand covering the camps in northern Kuwait.

Spc Jose Loya HQ and HQ Coy said he couldn’t see five feet in front of him. Gusts of up to 29 knots made seeing difficult as virtual walls of sand swept through living areas.

Maj Dave Coxwell, 15 Air Spt Ops Sqn weather flight commander said the biggest factor (in the storms) was the gusty winds.

“It’s very dependent on the seasons,” he said.

“In this season you can see high winds every day and a storm like this maybe once every 10 days.”

Recent storms have also damaged tents around the camps. One of the dining facilities at Camp New York has had one of its walls collapse twice, and other tents have completely collapsed.

“The gusts in Kuwait in March average about 34 knots.”

Dust storms can affect a soldier’s day in other ways beyond the impact on equipment.

– US Forces News Service

.