In the VII Corps sector the 1st Infantry Division was given the mission of breaching the enemy's defensive line, and the 1-4 Cavalry was selected to lead the way. First Squadron was assigned to 1-41 Infantry to breach Iraq's initial defensive network on the Saudi Arabian-Iraqi border. This joint effort would be known as Task Force Iron. The 1st Squadron had arrived in Saudi Arabia without its tanks which had been in storage while the squadron served as the Opposing Force (OPFOR) in 1st Division maneuvers in Germany and was short tank-qualified personnel. 1-4 Cavalry began quickly integrating new replacements fresh from training and readied newly issued tanks for A and B Troops. On schedule, 1-4 Cavalry with its two armored cavalry troops and two air cavalry troops launched the VII Corps attack destroying around 27 Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles in the initial attack. The Big Red One soon had destroyed some ten miles of enemy defenses and had created a breach in the Iraqi lines for the VII Corps to pour through. Now moving east, the Corps with the 1st Division on the south passed through the cavalry screen and attacked the Iraqi forces. By 27 February the 1st Division had destroyed 2 Iraqi armored divisions. The 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry then set up blocking positions on the Al Basrah – Kuwait City highway preventing Iraqi forces from escaping from Kuwait. 1-4 Cavalry received a Valorous Unit Award for its actions during Operation Desert Storm. Excerpt from orders: "The 1st squadron, 4th cavalry led the 1st infantry divisions attack across Iraq and Kuwait cutting the Iraqi army's escape route, the Kuwait city/Basra highway. The squadron continued its rapid advance, culminating with the capture of the Safwan airfield. During this drive the squadron destroyed 65 tanks, 66 armored personnel carriers, 66 trucks, 91 bunkers, and captured 3,000 enemy soldiers."