Military History

The show's time period is listed as the day before Labor day, 1990, four months before the Gulf War.

This of course refers to the US's direct involvement in the war, or Operation Desert Storm. The war began on August 2nd of 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. At this time, the US immediately declared its intention to protect the safety of Saudi Arabia and began Operation Desert Shield: the build-up of military forces in Iraq's neighboring country to the south.

On January 17th of 1991 (a little over four months after Labor Day) when Saddam Hussein failed to withdraw troops, the coalition army of over 28 UN countries entered the Gulf War in Kuwait's defense, led by the US bombing of Baghdad. This effort was called Operation Desert Storm.

The USS America (which Jason was serving on) was active in both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm (It was deployed in December). Her last major military operation before this was in Libya in 1986--presumably Jason wouldn't even have been out of training at this point. His time spent on the USS America was therefore quite uneventful, boarding the ship while it was harbored in Virginia between 1986 and 1988 and then operating along the East Coast and in the Caribbean for the rest of that year.

The only noteworthy operation of the America's that Jason might have participated in would be the evacuation of the US embassy in Lebanon (1989).

As for Jack, on page 41 he says he was on the USS Smalley stationed in the Persian Gulf in 1956.

According to the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships however, the USS Smalley spent all of 1956 cruising the Caribbean followed by some yard period.

In short, both Jason and Jack apparently spent a good deal of their time "cruising the Caribbean." This is certainly no coincidence.

USS America's History:
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a8/america-iii.htm

USS Smalley's History:
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s14/smalley.htm

Gulf War References:
http://arabic-media.com/saddam.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/persian-gulf-war

Thomas