FOB Warrior
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| Also known as | Kirkuk Air Base; Kirkuk Regional Air Base (KRAB); Kirkuk International Airport; Al-Hurriah Air Base |
|---|---|
| Location | Outskirts of Kirkuk, Kirkuk Governorate, about 290 km north of Baghdad |
| Type | Forward operating base and U.S. Air Force regional air base |
| Category | U.S. installation in Iraq |
| Opened | 2003 (U.S. use; airport built 1951) |
| Closed or transferred | November 2011, returned to the Iraqi Army |
| Coordinates | 35.46944, 44.34889 (35°28′10.0″N 44°20′56.0″E) |
Overview
Forward Operating Base Warrior was the Army name for the large U.S. installation at Kirkuk Air Base, which the U.S. Air Force called Kirkuk Regional Air Base. The airport was built in 1951 and gained international status in 1957. Iraq substantially upgraded it in 1983 with a new runway and hardened aircraft bunkers, and at the start of the Iran-Iraq War it was the main base for Iraq's new Mirage F1 fighters.
From 2003 the airfield was used as a U.S. military airport, and Army brigades based at FOB Warrior were responsible for security in Kirkuk city and the surrounding province. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, relieved the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the Kirkuk area in early 2004. Later rotations included the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in 2006-2007 and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division in 2009.
The Air Force side of the base was home to the 506th Air Expeditionary Group, described as the most forward-deployed Air Force group in Operation Iraqi Freedom. About 1,000 active-duty, Reserve and Guard airmen served in the group during each rotation, alongside roughly 5,000 soldiers on the installation. The group ran base security, airfield operations, fuel, medical and civil engineering services, and supported the Kirkuk Provincial Reconstruction Team.
Kirkuk also became a training center for the rebuilt Iraqi Air Force. Coalition advisers of the 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron and the 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group trained Iraqi pilots on Cessna 172 and Caravan aircraft, and Bell 206 helicopters arrived in December 2008 to equip a new Iraqi training squadron. As of July 2011 most soldiers on the base belonged to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division. The base was returned to the Iraqi Army in November 2011, and a civilian airport opened there in October 2022.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1951 | Kirkuk Airport built; international status followed in 1957. |
| 1983 | Iraq upgraded Kirkuk Air Base with a second runway and aircraft bunkers. |
| 2003 | U.S. forces began using the airport as a military air base. |
| 2004 | The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division relieved the 173rd Airborne Brigade in the Kirkuk area. |
| 2005 | Air Force security forces flew Desert Hawk surveillance drones from the base. |
| 2006-07 | The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division was based at FOB Warrior; the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade split its elements between Speicher and Warrior. |
| 2008 | Iraqi Air Force flight training expanded at Kirkuk with Cessna 172, Caravan and Bell 206 aircraft. |
| 2009 | The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division was based at FOB Warrior. |
| 2011 | 1st BCT, 1st Infantry Division and 1st Cavalry Division soldiers made up most of the garrison in July; the base was returned to the Iraqi Army in November. |
Units stationed at FOB Warrior
Units documented in public sources as based at or operating from FOB Warrior. 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 | 173rd Airborne Brigade | 2003 - early 2004 | Held the Kirkuk area until relieved by 2nd BCT, 25th Infantry Division | link |
| 2 | 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division | January 2004 - early 2005 | Attached to the 1st Infantry Division; responsible for security in Kirkuk city and surrounding area | link |
| 3 | 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry (task force) | 2004-2005 | Stability mission within Kirkuk city | link |
| 4 | 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry (task force) | 2004-2005 | Air assaults and battalion operations in the Kirkuk area; Valorous Unit Award | link |
| 5 | 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry (task force) | 2004-2005 | Operations in the Kirkuk area and beyond | link |
| 6 | 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery and 225th Support Battalion (task forces) | 2004-2005 | Fire support, counter-fire and brigade logistics | link |
| 7 | 116th Brigade Combat Team | Not specified in source read | Mission in Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah from FOB Warrior: security, economy, government and communications | link |
| 8 | 506th Air Expeditionary Group (U.S. Air Force) | Through 2011 | Base security, airfield operations and support at Kirkuk Regional Air Base | link |
| 9 | 506th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron | 2007 | Ran a fuel bladder farm supplying five surrounding FOBs | link |
| 10 | 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron | 2007 | Medical care for casualties arriving at the base | link |
| 11 | 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron | 2008-2009 | Base security, police services and military working dogs | link |
| 12 | 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron | 2008 | Firefighting and emergency management | link |
| 13 | 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division | 2006-2007 | Brigade based at FOB Warrior under Multi-National Division-North | link |
| 14 | Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division | 2006-2007 | Split-based between COB Speicher and FOB Warrior | link |
| 15 | 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group | 2008 | Advised the Iraqi Air Force flight school at Kirkuk | link |
| 16 | 52nd Expeditionary Flying Training Squadron | 2008 | Trained Iraqi Air Force student pilots | link |
| 17 | 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division | 2009 | Brigade based at FOB Warrior | link |
| 18 | 15th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd BCT, 1st Cavalry Division | 2009 | Brigade logistics; won the FOB Warrior Commander's Cup in May 2009 | link |
| 19 | 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division | As of July 2011 | Majority of soldiers on the base | link |
Notable events and facts
- The 506th Air Expeditionary Group at Kirkuk was described as the most forward-deployed Air Force group in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- About 1,000 airmen and roughly 5,000 soldiers were assigned to the installation during a typical rotation.
- A fuel bladder farm at Kirkuk supplied five surrounding forward operating bases in 2007.
- Five Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopters arrived by C-17 on 3 December 2008 to train Iraqi Air Force rotary-wing pilots.
- In May 2009, Iraqi and U.S. airmen restored structures at the Sultan Saqi shrine and cemetery on the base before its first official family visit in almost three decades.
- The airfield reopened as Kirkuk International Airport for civilian flights in October 2022.
Photographs
Roll call: who served at FOB Warrior
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 Warrior
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
- Kirkuk International Airport - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkuk_International_Airport
- Division History - 25th Infantry Division Association. https://www.25thida.org/division/
- FOB Warrior holds commander's cup competition - Army.mil. https://www.army.mil/article/23104/fob_warrior_holds_commanders_cup_competition
- 116th BCT continues multi-faceted mission in Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah - DVIDS. https://www.dvidshub.net/news/2004/116th-bct-continues-multi-faceted-mission-kirkuk-and-su
- Wikimedia Commons: Iraqi Air Force C-172. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iraqi_Air_Force_C-172.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: Defense.gov News Photo 070405-F-7552L-017. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Defense.gov_News_Photo_070405-F-7552L-017.jpg