Iraqi Ground Forces Command

Last updated
Iraqi Ground Forces Command
Iraqi Joint Forces Command
Active2006–present
Country Iraq
Type Formation (military)
Part ofIraqi Army
Garrison/HQ Victory Base Complex
Commanders
Current
commander		 Lt. Gen. Qassim Muhammad Salih
Notable
commanders		 Lt. Gen. Abdul Qadir Obeidi
Insignia
Ground Forces flag Flag of the Iraqi Ground Forces.svg

The Ground Forces Command at Victory Base Complex near Baghdad Airport was the most important fighting formation in the Iraqi Army. The headquarters of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command and the Iraqi Joint Forces Command are the same entity.

Contents

Since 2006, and probably up to U.S. withdrawal in 2011, the Ground Forces Command has supervised the bulk of the military units of the army.

History

From 2003 until 2006, the units of the reforming Iraqi Army were under U.S. Army operational control. Their formation had been managed by the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, which then became part of Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq. After they became operational, they had been transferred to the operational control of Multi-National Corps Iraq or one of its subordinate formations.

On May 3, 2006 a significant command-and-control development took place. The Iraqi Army command and control center opened in a ceremony at the IFGC headquarters at Camp Victory. [1] The IGFC was established to exercise command and control of assigned Iraqi Army forces and, upon assuming Operational Control, to plan and direct operations to defeat the Iraqi insurgency. At the time, the IFGC was commanded by Lt. Gen. Abdul-Qadar. The JHQ-AST (Joint Headquarters Advisory Support Team) had been established in 2004 to guide the IGFC/IJFHQ through this process. The JHQ-AST was a subordinate element of MNSTC-I. The Advisory Support Team's mission was described as to 'mentor and assist the Iraqi Joint Headquarters in order to become capable of exercising effective national command and control of the Iraqi Armed Forces, contributing to the capability development process, and contributing to improving the internal security situation within Iraq in partnership with coalition forces.' [2]

In 2006 the ten planned divisions began to be certified and assume battlespace responsibility: the 6th and 8th before June 26, 2006, the 9th on June 26, 2006, the 5th on July 3, 2006, the 4th on August 8, 2006, and the 2nd on December 21, 2006.

After divisions were certified, they began to be transferred from U.S. operational control to Iraqi control of the IGFC. On 7 September 2006, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki signed a document taking control of Iraq's small naval and air forces and the 8th Division of the Iraqi Army, based in the south.

At a ceremony marking the occasion, Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq stated "From today forward, the Iraqi military responsibilities will be increasingly conceived and led by Iraqis." Previously, the U.S.-led Multi-National Force Iraq, commanded by Casey, gave orders to the Iraqi armed forces through a joint American-Iraqi headquarters and chain of command. Senior U.S. and coalition officers controlled army divisions but smaller units were commanded by Iraqi officers. After the handover, the chain of command flows directly from the prime minister in his role as Iraqi commander in chief, through his Defense Ministry to an Iraqi military headquarters, the Iraqi Joint Forces Command. From there, the orders go to Iraqi units on the ground. The other nine Iraqi divisions remain under U.S. command, with authority gradually being transferred.

U.S. military officials said there was no specific timetable for the transition. U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said it would be up to al-Maliki to decide "how rapidly he wants to move along with assuming control. ... They can move as rapidly thereafter as they want. I know, conceptually, they've talked about perhaps two divisions a month." [3]

After the 8th Division's transfer on September 7, 2006, the 3rd Division was transferred on December 1, 2006. [4] Another unspecified division also was transferred to IGFC control. [5]

Also transferred to the Iraqi chain of command were smaller logistics units: on November 1, 2006, the 5th Motor Transport Regiment (MTR) was the fifth of nine MTRs to be transferred to the Iraqi Army divisions. 2007 plans included, MNF-I said, great efforts to make the Iraqi Army able to sustain itself logistically. [6]

Transfers of divisions to IGFC control continued in 2007: the 1st Division on February 15, the 10th Division on February 23, and the 7th Division on November 1. The new 14th Division also held its opening ceremony in Basrah on November 14, 2007. [7]

Ministerial Order #151, dated 19 February 2008, directed that the brigades of all the divisions be renumbered sequentially. Instead of each division have 1st/2nd/3rd/4th Brigades, each brigade has a unique identifying number.

From late 2008, United States personnel were worried by Prime Minister Maliki's "attempt to exert control over the Iraqi Army and police by proliferating regional operations commands. Using the Baghdad Operations Command as his precedent, Maliki created other regional commands in Basrah, Diyala, the mid-Euphrates region, and Ninawa, and others would follow. Initially coalition leaders welcomed the idea of regional commands that could create unity of Iraqi effort, but their enthusiasm faded as Maliki began to use the new headquarters to bypass the formal chain of command," [8] which came to resemble the operating mode of the Saddam Hussein regime.

Staff organisation

Forces under Command

The IGFC does not control all the fighting formations of the Iraqi Army. The Baghdad Operational Command reports separately to the National Operations Center. "The 9th (Mechanized) Division has the entire army armoured (tank) capability. It is ethnically diverse. Some of the battalions of the 10th Division are manned by Shi’a militia." [10]

It was reported in January 2010 that the Operational Commands were to be the basis for future Iraqi Army corps. [11]

Iraqi Ground Force Command (IGFC) [12]

Iraqi army battalion trains for urban operations Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Iraqi army battalion trains for urban operations (Image 2 of 3).jpg
Iraqi army battalion trains for urban operations
Iraqi Army HMMWV in Mar 2006 IraqiArmyHMMWV in Mar 2006.jpg
Iraqi Army HMMWV in Mar 2006

Commanders

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brigade</span> Large military formation (3–6 battalions / 3–10 thousand troops)

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XVIII Airborne Corps</span> One of four active corps of the U.S. Army, currently part of U.S. Army Forces Command

The XVIII Airborne Corps is a corps of the United States Army that has been in existence since 1942 and saw extensive service during World War II. The corps is designed for rapid deployment anywhere in the world and is referred to as "America's Contingency Corps." Its headquarters are at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

The Iraqi Ground Forces, also referred to as the Iraqi Army, is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was formerly known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the coup of July 1958. The current commander is Lieutenant General Qassim Muhammad Salih.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-National Corps – Iraq</span> Military unit

Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I) was a formerly multinational, later U.S. only, army corps created on 15 May 2004, fighting the Iraq War. Its superior body, the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) had replaced Combined Joint Task Force 7 on May 15, 2004. The change was made due to "concerns that had existed for some period of time, that the Combined Joint Task Force 7 headquarters was not sufficient to handle the range of military operations in Iraq, including peace support, civil military operations, and at the same time conduct strategic engagement such as talking to the sheiks and talking to the political authorities."

The 19th Brigade is an Army Reserve formation of the British Army. As the 19th Infantry Brigade, it fought in the First and Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq War order of battle, 2009</span>

Below is an estimated list of the major units deployed within the Multi-National Force – Iraq and other United States military units that were operating in Iraq under the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in 2009, during the Iraq War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)</span> Military unit

The 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Buckeye) is an infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army National Guard with the brigade headquarters, cavalry squadron, field artillery battalion, engineer battalion, one infantry battalion, and support battalion stationed in Ohio, one infantry battalion and military intelligence company stationed in Michigan, and a third infantry battalion stationed in South Carolina. The headquarters of the 37th IBCT traces its lineage and honors back to the headquarters of the 37th Infantry Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division</span> One of three basic maneuver units of the 1st Cavalry Division, US Army

The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division is a combined arms armored brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Cavazos, TX. Major equipment includes the M1A2SEP Tanks, M2A3 & M3A3 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, M109A7 Paladin howitzers, and M1114 up-armored Humvees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Phantom Thunder</span>

Operation Phantom Thunder began on 16 June 2007, when Multi-National Force-Iraq launched major offensive operations against al-Qaeda and other extremist terrorists operating throughout Iraq. It was the largest coordinated military operation since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Operation Phantom Thunder was a corps level operation, including Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Diyala Province, Operation Marne Torch and Operation Commando Eagle in Babil Province, Operation Fardh al-Qanoon in Baghdad, Operation Alljah in Anbar Province, and continuing special forces actions against the Mahdi Army in southern Iraq and against Al-Qaeda leadership throughout the country. The operation was one of the biggest military operations in Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">20th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 20th Infantry Regiment is a United States Army infantry regiment. Currently only the 5th Battalion of the 20th Infantry still exists. Stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and part of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, 5-20 Infantry was one of the original battalions selected to take part in the testing and fielding of the U.S. Army's then-new Stryker vehicle. During the Vietnam War, elements of the regiment carried out the My Lai massacre.

Operation Phantom Phoenix was a major nationwide offensive launched by the Multinational Force Iraq (MNF-I) on 8 January 2008 in an attempt to build on the success of the two previous corps-level operations, Operation Phantom Thunder and Operation Phantom Strike and further reduce violence and secure Iraq's population, particularly in the capital Baghdad. The offensive consisted of a number of joint Coalition and Iraqi Army operations throughout northern Iraq as well as in the southern Baghdad Belts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Basra (2008)</span> Battle of the Iraq War

The Battle of Basra began on 25 March 2008, when the Iraqi Army launched an operation to drive the Mahdi Army militia out of the southern Iraqi city of Basra. The operation was the first major operation to be planned and carried out by the Iraqi Army since the invasion of 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Division (Iraq)</span> Military unit

The 2nd Division was a formation of the Iraqi Army. It was theoretically headquartered at Mosul, but was driven out of that city by IS. No reliable reports of its continued existence have surfaced since June–July 2014. Previously, the 2nd Division was one of the most experienced formations in the Iraqi Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Division (Iraq)</span> Military unit

The 3rd Division was a formation of the Iraqi Army. It was active by 1941, disbanded along with the rest of the Iraqi Army in 2003, but reactivated by 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Division (Iraq)</span> Military unit

The 6th Division is a formation of the Iraqi Army, first formed after 1959, converted to armoured status by 1973, but disbanded in 2003. It was reformed as part of the new army in August 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Division (Iraq)</span> Iraqi Army division

The 4th Division is a motorized-infantry division of the Iraqi Army. It is currently headquartered in Tikrit city. It was formed before 1941, disbanded in 2003, but reactivated after 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Division (Iraq)</span> Military unit

The 5th Division is a military formation of the Iraqi Army. The division is currently deployed in eastern Iraq – predominantly Diyala Governorate. Following the losses suffered by the Iraqi Army during fighting in the ISIL campaign in Northern Iraq, the Iraqi security forces became increasingly reliant on non-state militia units – the Popular Mobilization Forces. As of October 2015, Reuters reported that the 5th Division reported to the PMF chain of command, instead of the official military hierarchy.

The 7th Division is a division of the Iraqi Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Division (Iraq)</span> Military unit

The 8th Division is a division of the Iraqi Army. Before being reformed after 2004 it was part of the previous Iraqi Army. Just before the Iran–Iraq War it was located at Erbil as part of the 1st Corps. The 8th Division is composed of former Iraqi National Guard units, some of which were formed as early as 2004, but the division headquarters did not assume control of its area of operations until January 2006.

The Basra Operations Command is an organisation of the Government of Iraq which coordinates both Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior security forces in Basra Governorate. It was established in August 2007, and quickly became involved in the Battle of Basra (2008) against the Shia Jaysh al-Mahdī militia in Basra. Headquarters is in Basrah.

References

  1. ↑ "Iraqi command and control center opens doors amidst turnover of new territory". Multi-National Force - Iraq. 2006-05-04. Archived from the original on 2006-07-08.
  2. ↑ Anthony Cordesman and Patrick Baetjer, 'Iraqi Security Forces: A Strategy for Success,' Praeger Security International, Westport, Conn., 2006, p.93
  3. ↑ "Iraq assumes command of military today". USA Today. Associated Press. 7 September 2006.
  4. ↑ "US hands over control of Iraq military-Iraq Updates" . Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Iraqis to Command Four Northern Divisions by February, U.S. General Says, U.S. Department of defense, December 1, 2006" . Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  6. ↑ MTRs transferred in order of event: 8th, 4th, 6th, 5th and 1st (2 Nov). IA 5th MTR driving toward success - Daily article on www.mnf-iraq.com, 20 November 2006. Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ ""Operational Update: Gen. Zibari, Adnan al-Asadi, Lt. Gen. Dubik, Maj. Gen. Bergner, Nov. 21", MNF-I Press Briefing November 21 2007". Archived from the original on 6 September 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  8. ↑ Godfroy et al. 2019, pp. 282–83.
  9. ↑ http://www.chips.navy.mil/archives/09_Jan/web_pages/Iraqi_communications.html . Retrieved 2010-02-27.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Source: House Armed Services Committee, "THE CONTINUING CHALLENGE OF BUILDING THE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES," "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-25. Retrieved 2007-07-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link), 27 June 2007, page 98
  11. ↑ DJ Elliott, January 2010 Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ "Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle (OOB)" . Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  13. ↑ Microsoft Word – OOBpage5-IGFC-M.rtf
  14. ↑ Rayburn & Sobchak 2019, p. 272.
  15. ↑ IGFC Kirkuk/Baqubah Sector – Long War Journal
  16. ↑ "Daily story on MNF-I Webpage, August 9, 2006". Archived from the original on 13 September 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "The Advisor, MNSTC-I Newsletter, July 8, 2006" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-12.
  18. ↑ DJ Elliott, Iraqi Army Southern Forces, page 5, 28 February 2010
  19. ↑ MNF-I Press Release: Basrah IA division transfers to Iraqi command. February 23, 2007 Archived September 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine For additional views of this division, see Colonel Duncan Barley, ‘Training and Mentoring the Iraqi Army: the first Military Transition Teams,’ British Army Review No. 139, Spring 2006, p.85-91.
  20. ↑ Military Advantage. "Warfighter's Forum" . Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  21. ↑ Archived September 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ For additional views on this formation, see Lieutenant Colonel TP Robinson, 'Illuminating a Black Art: Mentoring the Iraqi Army during Op TELIC 12,' British Army Review, No. 147, Summer 2009, plus another article in the same issue.
  23. ↑ ""7th Iraqi Army Division now Controlled by Iraqi Government", MNF-I Press Release November 03 2007". Archived from the original on 12 January 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.