Al Asad
Encyclopedia
Al Asad Airbase is the second largest US military airbase
in Iraq
and is located in the largely Sunni western Province of Iraq Al Anbar. It was formerly the home of the II Marine Expeditionary Force until January 2010. Other major tenants included the 82nd Airborne Advise & Assist Brigade, 321st Sustainment Brigade (-)
, VOD-1, VAQ-142
, Navy Customs Battalion Juliet
, elements of the Iraqi Army
's 7th Division
, and the United States Air Force
.
The base, located 100 miles west of Baghdad, is divided by a wadi
that runs through the area. It has a perimeter of more than 15 miles, and is the second largest air force base in Iraq. It has 23 hardened shelters and two runways of 4260 and 3955 meters each. The runways, taxiways, tarmacs, hangars, and maintenance areas are on the southern half of the base, while living quarters, motor pools, and administrative areas are in the natural valley formed by the dry river bed. A number of abandoned Iraqi aircraft are scattered throughout the base, in various states of disrepair, as well as hardened bunker
s meant to house them.
The oasis
located on the base is mistakenly known as "Abraham
's Well", and is purported to have been a stopping during the journey of Abraham recounted in the Book of Genesis.
Al Asad was formerly an Iraqi Air Force
Airbase, then known as Qadisiyah Airbase. In Arabic, Al Asad means the "The Lion
". It was quickly abandoned during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. Prior to the American invasion, it housed three units of the Iraqi Air Force
which flew MiG-25
s and MiG-21
s.
and was turned over to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in May 2003. 3rd ACR was relieved by the Marines of the I Marine Expeditionary Force in March 2004. Al Asad became the largest Coalition base in western Iraq and the western equivalent of Baghdad's
Green Zone
.
Al Asad was a major convoy hub, hosting hundreds of fuel and supply trucks every day. Huge shipments of fuel were commonly run along the dangerous routes coming out of Jordan
and, despite insurgent attempts, a majority of these convoys arrived at their destinations untouched.
Like other large bases in Iraq, Al Asad offered amenities including an indoor swimming pool, movie theater, post office, Morale, Welfare and Recreation
center, several gyms, Post Exchange
, Burger King
, Cinnabon
, Kentucky Fried Chicken
, Pizza Hut
, Subway Restaurant
, and a Green Beans Coffee Shop. The base is self-sufficient for producing drinking water, having both a reverse osmosis
water purification
plant and a bottling plant. Most of the housing on base are "cans", shipping containers
converted to, or manufactured as, living areas. Some of the original barracks still remain, however, and were used as well. Overflow tents were used when required, such as transition periods, which can nearly double the number of troops on the base. The base was a common destination for celebrities and politicians visiting American troops in Iraq, such as Chuck Norris
and Toby Keith
. While the towns and routes near Al Asad were as dangerous as anywhere else in Iraq, it is relatively remote and is easily accessible by air.
The controversial song Hadji Girl
was recorded on Al Asad in 2005. On September 3, 2007, President
George W. Bush
, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
, Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates
, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General
Peter Pace
visited Al Asad and spent Labor Day
with the Servicemembers deployed to the base. Also in September 2007, V-22 Osprey
s from VMM-263
landed at Al Asad Airfield, the first combat missions of the aircraft.
As Marines withdraw from Iraq, Al Asad remained one of the last American occupied bases in Al Anbar. In 2009 and 2010, Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force removed the majority of gear and personnel from the base.
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and is located in the largely Sunni western Province of Iraq Al Anbar. It was formerly the home of the II Marine Expeditionary Force until January 2010. Other major tenants included the 82nd Airborne Advise & Assist Brigade, 321st Sustainment Brigade (-)
321st Sustainment Brigade (United States)
The 321st Sustainment Brigade is a sustainment brigade of the United States Army Reserve.-History:The 321st Materiel Management Center was activated as the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 321st Logistical Command Fort Wayne, Indiana, on 27 February 1951, and inactivated on 31 December 1955...
, VOD-1, VAQ-142
VAQ-142
Electronic Attack Squadron 142 , also known as "The Gray Wolves", is an EA-6B Prowler squadron of the United States Navy. They specialize in electronic attack and are currently stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, Washington....
, Navy Customs Battalion Juliet
US Navy Customs
The United States Navy Customs mission is one that is assigned to the Commander, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group . The mission is overseen in the Central Command Theater of Operations by Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group Forward Headquarters, as well as the Commander,...
, elements of the Iraqi Army
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
's 7th Division
7th Division (Iraq)
The 7th Division is a division of the Iraqi Army. First formed in the 1960s or 1970s, it was disbanded in 2003. It was reformed after 2004. It is now headquartered at Al Asad. This division was trained by the United States Marine Corps. Today it is one of the better Iraqi formations, it played a...
, and the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
Geography
Wadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
that runs through the area. It has a perimeter of more than 15 miles, and is the second largest air force base in Iraq. It has 23 hardened shelters and two runways of 4260 and 3955 meters each. The runways, taxiways, tarmacs, hangars, and maintenance areas are on the southern half of the base, while living quarters, motor pools, and administrative areas are in the natural valley formed by the dry river bed. A number of abandoned Iraqi aircraft are scattered throughout the base, in various states of disrepair, as well as hardened bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s meant to house them.
The oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
located on the base is mistakenly known as "Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
's Well", and is purported to have been a stopping during the journey of Abraham recounted in the Book of Genesis.
History
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
Airbase, then known as Qadisiyah Airbase. In Arabic, Al Asad means the "The Lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
". It was quickly abandoned during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. Prior to the American invasion, it housed three units of the Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
which flew MiG-25
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970...
s and MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
s.
Airbase during the Iraq War
The base was initially secured during the Iraq War by the Australian Special Air Service RegimentAustralian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...
and was turned over to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in May 2003. 3rd ACR was relieved by the Marines of the I Marine Expeditionary Force in March 2004. Al Asad became the largest Coalition base in western Iraq and the western equivalent of Baghdad's
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
Green Zone
Green Zone
The Green Zone is the most common name for the International Zone of Baghdad. It is a area of central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the governmental center of the Coalition Provisional Authority and remains the center of the international presence in the city...
.
Al Asad was a major convoy hub, hosting hundreds of fuel and supply trucks every day. Huge shipments of fuel were commonly run along the dangerous routes coming out of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and, despite insurgent attempts, a majority of these convoys arrived at their destinations untouched.
Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Morale, Welfare and Recreation, abbreviated MWR, is a network of support and leisure services designed for use by soldiers , their families, civilian employees, military retirees and other eligible participants....
center, several gyms, Post Exchange
Base exchange
A Base Exchange is a type of retail store operating on United States military installations worldwide...
, Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
, Cinnabon
Cinnabon
Cinnabon is a chain of American baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in high-traffic areas such as malls. The company's signature item is a grande cinnamon roll. As of July 2009, over 750 Cinnabon bakeries are in operation in over 30 countries around the world...
, Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, Subway Restaurant
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, and a Green Beans Coffee Shop. The base is self-sufficient for producing drinking water, having both a reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
water purification
Water purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
plant and a bottling plant. Most of the housing on base are "cans", shipping containers
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
converted to, or manufactured as, living areas. Some of the original barracks still remain, however, and were used as well. Overflow tents were used when required, such as transition periods, which can nearly double the number of troops on the base. The base was a common destination for celebrities and politicians visiting American troops in Iraq, such as Chuck Norris
Chuck Norris
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
and Toby Keith
Toby Keith
Toby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
. While the towns and routes near Al Asad were as dangerous as anywhere else in Iraq, it is relatively remote and is easily accessible by air.
The controversial song Hadji Girl
Hadji Girl
"Hadji Girl" is a song by Corporal Joshua Belile of the United States Marine Corps about a fictitious encounter with a family of Iraqis. A video of Belile performing the song was posted anonymously on YouTube.com in March 2006. It sparked controversy at a time when Marines were facing public...
was recorded on Al Asad in 2005. On September 3, 2007, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
General
General (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
Peter Pace
Peter Pace
Peter Pace is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first Marine appointed to the United States' highest-ranking military office. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on...
visited Al Asad and spent Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
with the Servicemembers deployed to the base. Also in September 2007, V-22 Osprey
V-22 Osprey
The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing , and short takeoff and landing capability...
s from VMM-263
VMM-263
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft...
landed at Al Asad Airfield, the first combat missions of the aircraft.
As Marines withdraw from Iraq, Al Asad remained one of the last American occupied bases in Al Anbar. In 2009 and 2010, Marines with II Marine Expeditionary Force removed the majority of gear and personnel from the base.
See also
- Al Qaim
- Al Taqaddum
- List of United States Marine Corps installations