Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq)
Encyclopedia
Multi-National Division (South-East) (MND(SE)) was a British
commanded division
responsible for security in the south east of Iraq
from 2003 to 2009. It was responsible for the large city of Basra
(or Basrah) and its headquarters were located at Basra Airport. The division was initially responsible for the governorates (roughly province
s) of Al Muthanna, Maysan, Basra
, and Dhi Qar. MND-SE was a subordinate division of Multi-National Corps Iraq. Multi-National Corps Iraq was itself part of Multi-National Force-Iraq.
In aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, which had the British codename 'Operation Telic
,' the British 1st Armoured Division and 3rd Mechanised Division were successively responsible for the command and control of the occupation forces in south east Iraq. After 3rd Mechanised Division's tour of duty came to an end it was replaced by the composite headquarters of MND(SE). Since then the division has been made up primarily of British units with other nations in support. Most of the combat firepower of the division has been centred around the British brigade group deployed at the time and the division also contained an Italian
brigade for a period.
The area around Basra has been much quieter than the American occupation zone further north but there have been a significant number of incidents in which forces of the division have been killed. It is the current aim of the division to hand over all responsibility for security to Iraqi forces, although it is unclear how long this process will take.
When the Polish-led Multinational Division Central-South
withdrew from Iraq MND (SE) may have taken over responsibility for additional Iraqi governorates
; precisely whether this occurred is unclear.
Major General
Andy Salmon
(COMUKAMPHIBFOR) handed over command of the area to United States Forces on 31 March 2009 and the division headquarters closed on that day. The British forces making up the division are scheduled to be withdrawn from Iraq by 31 May 2009. Multi-National Division (South-East) now bears the name and designation, Multi-National Division (South) and was commanded by Major General Richard C. Nash, of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, an Army National Guard Division from Minnesota
.
In August of 2009 Multi-National Division(South) became United States Division-South and in January of 2010 the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division transferred authority of USD-S to the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, KS and is currently commanded by Major General Vincent K. Brooks.
for further information). The UK itself has about 5,500 personnel currently serving in Iraq, separated into the following battlegroups, as of 1 June 2007:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
commanded division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
responsible for security in the south east of 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....
from 2003 to 2009. It was responsible for the large city of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
(or Basrah) and its headquarters were located at Basra Airport. The division was initially responsible for the governorates (roughly province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s) of Al Muthanna, Maysan, Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, and Dhi Qar. MND-SE was a subordinate division of Multi-National Corps Iraq. Multi-National Corps Iraq was itself part of Multi-National Force-Iraq.
In aftermath of 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...
, which had the British codename 'Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
,' the British 1st Armoured Division and 3rd Mechanised Division were successively responsible for the command and control of the occupation forces in south east Iraq. After 3rd Mechanised Division's tour of duty came to an end it was replaced by the composite headquarters of MND(SE). Since then the division has been made up primarily of British units with other nations in support. Most of the combat firepower of the division has been centred around the British brigade group deployed at the time and the division also contained an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
brigade for a period.
The area around Basra has been much quieter than the American occupation zone further north but there have been a significant number of incidents in which forces of the division have been killed. It is the current aim of the division to hand over all responsibility for security to Iraqi forces, although it is unclear how long this process will take.
When the Polish-led Multinational Division Central-South
Multinational Division Central-South
Multinational Division Central-South , created in September 2003, and supported by NATO, was a part of the Multinational Force Iraq. Headquartered in Camp Echo, it was under Polish command until October 2008, when the last of Poland's troops were withdrawn. Polish contingent was its largest...
withdrew from Iraq MND (SE) may have taken over responsibility for additional Iraqi governorates
Governorates of Iraq
||Iraq is composed of 18 provinces :#Baghdād #Salāh ad-Dīn #Diyālā #Wāsit #Maysān #Al-Basrah #Dhī Qār #Al-Muthannā #Al-Qādisiyyah...
; precisely whether this occurred is unclear.
Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Andy Salmon
Andy Salmon
Major General Andrew "Andy" Salmon CMG OBE was, until February 2010, the Commandant General Royal Marines.-Early life:Salmon was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford before attending Godalming College to do his A-levels...
(COMUKAMPHIBFOR) handed over command of the area to United States Forces on 31 March 2009 and the division headquarters closed on that day. The British forces making up the division are scheduled to be withdrawn from Iraq by 31 May 2009. Multi-National Division (South-East) now bears the name and designation, Multi-National Division (South) and was commanded by Major General Richard C. Nash, of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, an Army National Guard Division from Minnesota
Minnesota National Guard
The Minnesota National Guard is composed of approximately 14,000 soldiers of the Minnesota Army National Guard and Airmen of the Minnesota Air National Guard, serving in 63 communities across the state. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal...
.
In August of 2009 Multi-National Division(South) became United States Division-South and in January of 2010 the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division transferred authority of USD-S to the 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, KS and is currently commanded by Major General Vincent K. Brooks.
Order of battle
In the months following the end of the invasion, the division expanded to include UK, Italian, Japanese, Australian, Romanian, Danish, Portuguese,Japanese, Czech and Lithuanian troops. As of February 2007, the Australians, Romanians, Danes, Czechs and Lithuanians remain (see Multinational Force in IraqMultinational force in Iraq
The Multi-National Force – Iraq was a military command, led by the United States, which was responsible for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Multi-National Force – Iraq replaced the previous force, Combined Joint Task Force 7, on 15 May 2004, and was later itself reorganized into its successor, United...
for further information). The UK itself has about 5,500 personnel currently serving in Iraq, separated into the following battlegroups, as of 1 June 2007:
Land Component
- Headquarters, 1st Mechanised Brigade
- Messines & Cambrai Company from London Regt (Force protection)
- 215th Signal Squadron, Royal Signals
- Two squadrons from the Household Cavalry RegimentHousehold Cavalry RegimentThe Household Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the amalgamation of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Both regiments were...
- The King's Royal HussarsKing's Royal HussarsThe King's Royal Hussars is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and was formed on 4 December 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:...
- Two squadrons from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment2nd Royal Tank RegimentThe 2nd Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
- 1st Battalion, Irish GuardsIrish GuardsThe Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities...
- One company from 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
- 4th Battalion, The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
- 1st Regiment, Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
- 22nd Engineer Regiment
- One squadron from 23rd Pioneer Regiment, Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
- 3rd Logistic Support Regiment, Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
- One company from 6th Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
- 3rd Close Support Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical CorpsRoyal Army Medical CorpsThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
- 158th Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
- 22nd Battery, 32nd Regiment, Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 34rd Field Hospital, Royal Army Medical CorpsRoyal Army Medical CorpsThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
Air Component
- 845 Naval Air Squadron (Sea King Mk 4Westland Sea KingThe Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
) - Detachment from 652 Squadron, Army Air Corps (LynxWestland LynxThe Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
) - No. 1419 Flight RAFNo. 1419 Flight RAFNo. 1419 Flight a deployed element of No. 28 Squadron RAF and 78 Squadron RAFRoyal Air Force Benson is a unit stationed at Basra in southern Iraq. It was first formed in World War II and is currently in command of the Merlin MK3 helicopters based at Basra. It was reformed on 5 March 2005,...
(MerlinAgustaWestland EH101The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter for military applications but also marketed for civil use. The helicopter was developed as a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the UK and Agusta in Italy...
) - No. 1 Squadron RAF RegimentNo. 1 Squadron RAF RegimentNo. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack. It is currently based at RAF Honington.- History :...
- 4th Force Protection Wing
- No. 120 Squadron RAFNo. 120 Squadron RAFNo. 120 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, Scotland until the type's withdrawal in March 2010.-Formation in WWI:...
/No. 201 Squadron RAFNo. 201 Squadron RAFNo. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, until March 2010, operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even...
(Nimrod MR2) - No. 51 Squadron RAFNo. 51 Squadron RAFNo. 51 Squadron of the Royal Air Force most recently operated the Nimrod R1 from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire until June 2011. Crews from No. 51 Squadron are currently training alongside the US Air Force on the Boeing RC-135, which is planned to enter service with the RAF over the next seven years...
(Nimrod R1) - 814 Naval Air Squadron (Merlin)
- No. 216 Squadron RAFNo. 216 Squadron RAFNo. 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed Tristar K1, KC1 and C2 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.- History :216 Squadron was formed at RAF Manston by re-numbering No. 16 Squadron RNAS when the RAF was established in 1918, hence it is always spoken of as 'two-sixteen Squadron'...
(TriStarLockheed TriStar (RAF)|-See also:-References:* Prothero, R.M. "Tristar:The answer to an operational requirement". Air International, March 1991, Vol 40 No. 3. pp. 128–134....
) - No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron RAFNo. 32 (The Royal) Squadron RAFNo. 32 Squadron of the Royal Air Force at present operates from RAF Northolt, west London, in the VIP and general air transport roles.-Formation:...
(BAE125British Aerospace BAe 125The British Aerospace 125 is a twin-engined mid-size corporate jet, with newer variants now marketed as the Hawker 800. It was known as the Hawker Siddeley HS.125 until 1977...
/BAE146) - No. 617 Squadron RAFNo. 617 Squadron RAFNo. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
(Tornado GR4) - No. 23 Squadron RAFNo. XXIV Squadron RAFNo. 24 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the C-130J Hercules C.4 and C.5 from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.-As a fighter squadron:...
/No. 30 Squadron RAFNo. 30 Squadron RAFNo. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the second generation C-130J Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The squadron operates alongside No. 24 Squadron and No. 47 Squadron all flying the Hercules.-History:...
(C-130J Hercules) - No. 101 Squadron RAFNo. 101 Squadron RAFNo. 101 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Vickers VC10 C1K, K3 and K4 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. Since 10 Squadron disbanded in 2005, the squadron is the only operator of the VC10.-Formation and early years:...
(VC10)
Maritime component
- HMS CornwallHMS Cornwall (F99)The sixth HMS Cornwall was a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was the first Batch 3 to be built, and the last to decommission...
- HMS EnterpriseHMS Enterprise (H88)HMS Enterprise, the tenth ship to bear this name, is a multi-role survey vessel - hydrographic oceanographic of the Royal Navy. She has a sister ship, , and together they make up the Echo class of survey vessels.-Design:...
- RFA BayleafRFA Bayleaf (A109)RFA Bayleaf was a Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.-Construction:Bayleaf was one of four ships ordered from Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in 1973, and laid down in 1975 as the Hudson Sound. When the ordering company ran into financial difficulties, the ships were laid up, and...
- Two Mine Countermeasures vessels
- Contribution to the 60-man joint US-UK 'Naval Transition Team'