The similarity between the troops sent during the 45th Infantry Brigade and Persian Gulf war was that they targeted one specific group in middle eastern region.
The deployment of Oklahoma's 45th infantry consisted of around 2,200 soldiers. This was the largest deployment to the middle east since Persian Gulf War. But , the amount sent by United States to Persian Gulf War still far more than Oklahoma's 45th Infantry. USA sent around 130,000 troops to the Gulf war.
The election of 1860 is your answer. When the south got word of Lincoln’s election a few states started seceding within days. This led to the soon start of the war.
