The

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

continues to have a large number of temporary military bases in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, most a type of

forward operating base A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward operational level military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support strategic goals and tactical objectives. A FOB may contain an airbase, hospital, machine shop, and othe ...

(FOB). Depending on their size or utility, the installations were called: camp, forward operating bases (FOBs), contingency operating bases (COBs), contingency operating sites (COSs), combat outposts (COPs), patrol base (PBs), logistic based (log bases), fire bases (FBs), convoy support centers (CSCs), logistic support areas (LSAs), and joint security stations (JSSs). Near the end of

Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011) The occupation of Iraq (2003–2011) began on 2003 invasion of Iraq, 20 March 2003, when the United States invaded with a military coalition to overthrow Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region, Arab So ...

, the last several camps and forward operating bases were changed to contingency operating bases and sites. At the height of the occupation the US had 170,000 personnel in uniform stationed in 505 bases throughout all provinces of Iraq. Another 135,000 private military contractors were also working in Iraq. Due to

International military intervention against ISIL Many states began to intervene against the Islamic State, in both the Syrian civil war and the War in Iraq (2013–2017), in response to its rapid territorial gains from its 2014 Northern Iraq offensives, universally condemned executions, hu ...

, personnel have returned to old bases and new bases created. Control of many U.S.-operated bases was transferred to the Iraqi government during the 2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal. At the request of the Iraqi government in January 2024, and amid rising regional tensions following the 2023 Israeli invasion of Gaza, the US and Iraq are set to begin negotiations to end US military presence in Iraq.

Airfields

Camps

Combat outposts (COPs)

Contingency operating base (COBs)

Contingency operating sites (COSs)

Firebases (FBs)

Forward operating bases (FOBs)

Joint Base (JB)

Joint security stations (JSSs)

Patrol bases (PBs)

Other nomenclatures

* Victory Base Complex (VBC), a cluster of installations surrounding the

Baghdad International Airport Baghdad International Airport , previously Saddam International Airport from 1982 to 2003, () is Iraq's largest international airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate. It is the home base for Ira ...

(BIAP). Successively headquarters for Multi-National Force - Iraq and

United States Forces - Iraq United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

. ** al-Faw Palace, part of the Victory Base Complex, headquarters of the

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

References

*{{cite book , last1=Bernstein , first1=J, title=AH-64 Apache Units Of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom , year=2005 , publisher= Osprey Publishing Ltd, location= UK , isbn=1-84176-848-0

External links

Map of Army Installations in Iraq
United States Army lists