Multinational Force Iraq
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| Multinational Force - Iraq | |
|---|---|
 Multinational Force - Iraq Distinctive Unit Insignia |
|
| Active | 2004-05-14 - |
| Country | United States |
| Size | ~150,000 |
| Part of | United States Central Command |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding General | General David Petraeus |
| Deputy Commanding General | Lieutenant General G. C. M. Lamb |
| Command Sergeant Major | Command Sergeant Major Jeffrey J. Mellinger |
| Notable commanders |
General George William Casey Jr. |
- This page is about the military command, for more general discussion of the coalition forces see Multinational force in Iraq or Iraq War.
Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) replaced Combined Joint Task Force 7 on May 15, 2004. The land forces component of United States Central Command that carried out the initial invasion of Iraq, designated the Coalition Forces Land Component Command, was established by Commander, US Army Forces Central Command, in 2002/3, to oversee two corps-sized organizations, I Marine Expeditionary Force and V Corps. These two corps-level formations carried out Operation Iraqi Freedom (the U.S. military term) which began on 20 March 2003. CFLCC was replaced by Combined Joint Task Force 7 on 14 June 2003.
Contents |
[edit] Combined Joint Task Force 7
On 23 July 2003 the Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 (OIF-2) rotation for Combined Joint Task Force 7 was announced. The 3rd Infantry Division was to be replaced by the 82nd Airborne Division (-), the I MEF by what was to become Multinational Division South Center, 4th Infantry Division by 1st Infantry Division, with an Army National Guard Brigade attached, 1st Armored Division by 1st Cavalry Division, also with an ARNG Brigade attached, 3 ACR by a Stryker brigade, and 101st Airborne Division by a putative Multinational Division that in the event was never formed. In the event, the 101st was replaced by Task Force Olympia. The 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade were to be withdrawn without replacement.
The complete OIF-2 rotation to brigade level under CJTF-7 was as follows (although OIF-1 and OIF-3 units were present at virtually every point during OIF-2):
III Corps
- 81st Armoured Brigade Combat Team (Washington ARNG)
- Task Force Olympia - replaced 101 ABD as Multinational Division North
- 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division (United States)
- 1st Cavalry Division - became Task Force/MND Baghdad
- 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division
- 2nd BCT, 1st Cavalry Division
- 3rd BCT, 1st Cavalry Division
- 5th Brigade Combat Team (Provisional), 1st Cavalry Division
- 39th BCT (ARNG) (Baghdad/Taji, Iraq)
- 1st Infantry Division
- 2nd BCT, 1st ID
- 3rd BCT, 1st ID
- 2nd BCT, 25th ID
- 30th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mechanized) (North Carolina Army National Guard)
- I Marine Expeditionary Force
- Multinational Division South Centre (Polish led)
- Polish Brigade
- Plus Ultra Brigade
- Ukrainian Brigade
[edit] Multi National Force Iraq
In its turn, CJTF 7 was replaced by Multinational Force Iraq on May 15, 2004. Multinational Force Iraq was established to handle strategic level issues while Multi-National Corps Iraq (MNC-I) directed the tactical battle. General David H. Petraeus serves as Commanding General. As of mid 2006 the 1st Corps Support Command based at Logistics Support Area Anaconda at Balad, Iraq was providing theatre logistics support.
The two big units in OIF-3, announced by July 2004, were the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 42nd Infantry Division of the New York National Guard. The 3rd Infantry Division headquarters commanded two brigades of the division and the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana National Guard. The division relieved the 1st Cavalry Division in and around Baghdad.
[edit] OIF-3 Rotation
The complete OIF-3 rotation to brigade level under MNF-I was as follows:
Headquarters XVIII Airborne Corps
- 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Hawaii Army National Guard
- 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, Texas ARNG
- Task Force Freedom - northwest AOR?
- 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (acting as TF HQ)
- 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
- 1st Styker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
- 3rd Infantry Division - MND Baghdad?
- 2nd BCT, 3rd ID
- 4th BCT, 3rd ID
- 2nd BCT, 10th Mountain Division
- 256th Brigade Combat Team (ARNG)
- 42nd Infantry Division (ARNG)
- 1st BCT, 3rd ID
- 3rd BCT, 3rd ID
- 116th BCT (ARNG)
- 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment RCT (ARNG)
- II MEF (Fwd)/2nd Marine Division
- RCT-2
- RCT-6
- 2nd BCT, 2nd ID
- 155th BCT (ARNG)
[edit] OIF-4 Rotation
The OIF 4 rotation was announced on December 14, 2004.
The 4th Infantry Division's second deployment to Iraq began in the fall of 2005. The division headquarters replaced the 3rd Infantry Division, which had been directing security operations as the headquarters for Multi-National Division - Baghdad. The 4th assumed responsibility on January 7, 2006 for four provinces in central and southern Iraq: Baghdad, Karbala, An-Najaf and Babil. On January 7, 2006, MND-Baghdad also assumed responsibility for training Iraqi security forces and conducting security operations in the four provinces.
The 36th Aviation Brigade's subordination is unclear. It is definitely deployed within MNF-I but whether it is actually under 4th Infantry Division/MND Baghdad is unknown.
The complete rotation to brigade level under MNF-I is as follows:
V Corps (Fwd)
- 2nd BCT, 1st AD (forward based in Kuwait)
- 48th BCT (ARNG)
- 36th Combat Aviation Brigade (Army National Guard)
- 4th Infantry Division (MND Baghdad)
- 1st BCT, 4th ID
- 2nd BCT, 4th ID
- 4th BCT, 4th ID
- 1st BCT, 10th Mountain Division
- 2nd BCT, 101st Airborne Division
- 4th BCT, 101st Airborne Division
- 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
- 1st BCT, 1st AD
- 3rd HBCT, 4th ID
- 1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division
- 3rd BCT, 101st Airborne Division
- 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
- I MEF (Fwd)/1st Marine Division
- RCT-5
- RCT-7
- 2nd BCT, 28th ID (ARNG)
[edit] OIF-5 Rotation
The Pentagon announced on June 20, 2006, units that will be deploying to Iraq as part of the OIF 5 rotation of forces:
- III Corps Headquarters, Fort Hood, Texas
- II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
- Division Headquarters, 2nd and 3rd Brigades, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
- Division Headquarters, 3rd Brigade, 45th Sustainment Brigade and 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
- 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska
- 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado
- 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas
- 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany
- 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York
Multinational Corps Iraq now oversees divisions in the north of Iraq, in the west (Multinational Force West, usually manned by divisions of the United States Marine Corps), in Baghdad, in the Centre South sector (a Polish led Division) and in the south (the British led Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq).
