On August 22nd, the President implemented the first call-up of Guard and Reserve forces since the Vietnam war. This action was made necessary by the Pentagon's policy of integrating essential units in wartime with a mix of active and reserve components. The military had designed this policy to ensure that any war we would enter into would require a massive mobilization and support. Inside Kuwait tales of horror and tragedy were slowing coming to public light. Reports, later challenged for accuracy, said Iraqis were destroying the Kuwaiti infrastructure, killing infants in hospitals, torturing citizens on the streets, and looting and pillaging the riches of the conquered Arab kingdom.
Economic sanctions begin to take hold and food became more difficult to acquire.
Throughout the first months, allied intelligence showed a marked increase in enemy forces in the Kuwaiti theater of operations. The initial invasion force had been doubled in a matter of weeks and by October, some 40000Iraqis were facing off against a U.S. force of about 240,00. On November 8th, President Bush moved to change the face of the Gulf Crisis. This additional deployment will rely heavily on U.S. forces in the European theater, bringing in the 7th Corps, along with the 1st Armored Division stationed in Kansas, also known as the Big Red One. The United States was not interested in a unilateral declaration of war against the Iraqis.