FOB Warhorse
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| Also known as | Forward Operating Base Warhorse; Camp Warhorse; Baquba Air Base (former Iraqi base on the site) |
|---|---|
| Location | Diyala Province / north of Baqubah |
| Type | Forward operating base (brigade headquarters) |
| Category | U.S. installation in Iraq |
| Opened | 2003 |
| Closed or transferred | Not stated in the sources consulted; U.S. units were still at the base in December 2010 |
| Coordinates | 33.75000, 44.63333 (33°45′00.0″N 44°37′60.0″E) — approximate |
Overview
Forward Operating Base Warhorse was a U.S. Army brigade base north of Baqubah, the capital of Diyala Province. It occupied a former Iraqi military compound, described as Baquba Air Base, that had housed the 41st Armored Brigade of the Republican Guard Al Nida Division. When the regime fell the Iraqi troops left, and the compound was heavily looted.
By late June 2003 elements of the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse were operating from the site under very basic conditions, with no air conditioning or plumbing, and by October 2003 4th Infantry Division soldiers were living in the base's hangars. The 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, nicknamed the Warhorse Brigade, led the coalition mission in Diyala in 2003-2004 and helped set up an interim provincial government.
On 16 March 2004 the 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division transferred authority in Baqubah to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, which used Camp Warhorse as its headquarters. From March 2005 North Dakota Army National Guard engineers of the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion leveled ground, built roads and installed force protection structures at the base.
During the surge period, a Stryker brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division (4-2 SBCT, according to the Institute for the Study of War) spearheaded the U.S. effort in Diyala from its headquarters at FOB Warhorse. In the June 2007 battle for Baqubah during Operation Arrowhead Ripper, roughly 2,000 U.S. soldiers fought inside the city while about 4,500 more supported from the base, and helicopters flying from Warhorse carried assault troops into later operations in the province.
Later rotations included the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division in 2009-2010, which on 27 July 2010 transferred authority for the base to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. That brigade, serving as an advise and assist brigade, trained Iraqi Army soldiers at Warhorse during Operation New Dawn.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2003-06 | Elements of the 4th Infantry Division and Task Force Ironhorse operating from the former Iraqi compound. |
| 2003-10 | 4th Infantry Division soldiers living in hangars at the base. |
| 2004-03-16 | 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division transferred authority in Baqubah to the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, headquartered at Camp Warhorse. |
| 2005-03 | 141st Engineer Combat Battalion (North Dakota ARNG) engineers improved base roads and force protection. |
| 2007-06 | About 4,500 U.S. troops supported the battle for Baqubah from the base during Operation Arrowhead Ripper. |
| 2008-11 | Multi-National Division-North commander briefed Sons of Iraq leaders at the base's Faulkenberg Theatre. |
| 2009-12 | 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery calibrated M777 howitzers at the base. |
| 2010-07-27 | 3rd Stryker BCT, 2nd Infantry Division transferred authority for FOB Warhorse to 2nd Stryker BCT, 25th Infantry Division. |
Units stationed at FOB Warhorse
Units documented in public sources as based at or operating from FOB Warhorse. This list is not complete; units rotated frequently and many smaller elements were never reported. Veterans can add their unit on the message board below.
| # | Unit | When | Role at the base | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4th Infantry Division (elements) / Task Force Ironhorse | June-October 2003 | Operated from the former Iraqi compound; soldiers housed in hangars | link |
| 2 | 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division (Warhorse Brigade) | 2003-March 2004 | Led the coalition mission in Diyala | link |
| 3 | 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division | March 2004-2005 | Used Camp Warhorse as its headquarters | link |
| 4 | Company C, 141st Engineer Combat Battalion, North Dakota Army National Guard | from March 2005 | Built roads and force protection at FOB Warhorse | link |
| 5 | 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division (4-2 SBCT) | surge period (exact dates not stated in excerpt) | Headquartered at FOB Warhorse; spearheaded the U.S. effort in Diyala | link |
| 6 | 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Stryker BCT, 2nd Infantry Division | December 2009 | M777 howitzer battery at the base | link |
| 7 | 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division | 2009-July 2010 | Held authority for FOB Warhorse until July 2010 | link |
| 8 | 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division (2nd Advise and Assist Brigade) | July 2010-2011 | Assumed authority for FOB Warhorse on 27 July 2010 | link |
| 9 | Company C, 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 25th Infantry Division | October 2010 | Combat medics taught Iraqi soldiers lifesaving skills at the base | link |
| 10 | 1st Armored Division / Multi-National Division-North headquarters (commanding general visit) | November 2008 | Division commander held a Sons of Iraq briefing at the base | link |
Notable events and facts
- The site had been the garrison of the Republican Guard's 41st Armored Brigade, Al Nida Division, before 2003.
- During the June 2007 battle for Baqubah, about 4,500 U.S. soldiers supported from FOB Warhorse while about 2,000 fought inside the city.
- Up to 13 Chinook, Black Hawk and Apache helicopters from FOB Warhorse flew 241 soldiers into an air assault near Qubah during the Diyala campaign.
- In November 2008 the commanding general of Multi-National Division-North briefed Sons of Iraq leaders at the base's Faulkenberg Theatre on keeping them employed with wages.
Photographs
Roll call: who served at FOB Warhorse
No names have been added yet. This roll call is built from the people who served here, one post at a time.
Message board: FOB Warhorse
Served here? Share a memory, name your unit, or send a correction. Posts are reviewed before they appear. The full community board is on the Message Board page.
Sources
- Baquba Air Base (Military Wiki, incorporating Air Force Historical Research Agency material). https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Baquba_Air_Base
- FOB Warhorse Transfer Ceremony (DVIDS, 27 July 2010). https://www.dvidshub.net/image/304994/fob-warhorse-transfer-ceremony
- Expanding Security in Diyala (Institute for the Study of War) - search excerpt. https://understandingwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Security20Diyala20-20Iraq20Report2
- Everything you need to know about the Battle of Baqubah (We Are The Mighty) - search excerpt. https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/battle-of-baqubah/
- Diyala campaign (Wikipedia) - search excerpt. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyala_campaign
- Wikimedia Commons file descriptions for FOB Warhorse. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Warhorse+Iraq&ns6=1