The Dragon 1st Infantry Division figures carry equipment that would be common to every infantry unit operating in the Gulf. Infantry units will generally establish a common uniform and used the same load bearing equipment (LBE) as other like units. As far as the uniforms go, most folks would be either in the three color 'woodland' camouflage, or the six color desert 'chocolate chip' camouflage uniforms. Ideally, an entire unit would be in the 'uniform of the day' either the woodland BDUs or the desert DCUs (desert combat uniforms).
If they were in their chemical protective suits, most units would have been in either the green or woodland printed charcoal suits. I would definitely check with the museum for any period pictures depicting the unit you plan to represent.
If you are using more than the one box of 1st ID Soldiers, you might want to look at other Desert Storm period figure sets, such as the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and U.S. Sniper kits (also by Dragon). This will give you a better selection of figure poses and equipment.
Do you have an army surplus store in your area? It may be beneficial to stop by and see if they have any 'chocolate chip' desert uniforms that you could use as a color and pattern reference. If you can locate any of the older web gear, that would also be helpful in developing the right shaded of green for the pouches, suspenders, and belts that would be worn as an infantryman. I still have some of my army gear that I use as a color reference when painting uniforms and equipment.
Best of luck to you and your class on your project!