CENTCOM proposed and JCS accepted Desert Shield,a name which suggested both the region's characteristic geography and CENTCOM's defensive mission. The metaphor of the shield was well chosen because it emphasized not only US deterrence but also Iraqi aggression, for a shield is only necessary when a sword has been unsheathed. In the context of the metaphor, the deployment of US troops was necessary to deter an Iraqi sword that had already bloodied itself in Kuwait. Such careful and effective wordsmithing played well with domestic and international observers
First, make it meaningful.
Second, identify and target the critical audiences.
Third, be cautious of fashions.
Finally, make it memorable.
