Al Asad Air Base
← Back to the bases map · Roll call · Message board
| Also known as | Al-Asad Airbase; Qadisiyah Airbase; Objective Webster; Ain al-Asad; Camp Ripper (area within the base) |
|---|---|
| Location | Anbar Governorate, about 160 km west of Baghdad near Khan al-Baghdadi |
| Type | Air base |
| Category | U.S. installation in Iraq |
| Opened | 2003 (U.S. use; Iraqi base built 1981-1987) |
| Closed or transferred | December 2011, per Wikipedia (last civilian personnel airlifted out 16 December 2011); U.S. forces returned in 2014 and withdrew again in January 2026 |
| Coordinates | 33.80000, 42.43333 (33°47′60.0″N 42°25′60.0″E) |
Overview
Al Asad Air Base lies in the Haditha and Hit districts of Anbar Governorate, about 100 miles west of Baghdad and 5 miles west of Khan al-Baghdadi. The Iraqi government built it between 1981 and 1987 as Qadisiyah Airbase, one of the hardened airfields of Iraq's 'Super-Base' program, using a consortium of Yugoslav contractors. Before 2003 it housed three Iraqi Air Force units flying MiG-25 and MiG-21 fighters.
The Australian Special Air Service Regiment secured the abandoned base on 16 April 2003. Initially known as Objective Webster, it was renamed Al Asad, Arabic for 'the lion.' The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment took over in May 2003 and was relieved by the I Marine Expeditionary Force in March 2004.
Al Asad became the largest U.S. base in western Iraq and the second-largest U.S. air base in the country. Until January 2010 it was home to II Marine Expeditionary Force and Multi-National Force-West. Marine fixed-wing and rotary-wing squadrons rotated through the airfield throughout the war, and the base was a major convoy hub for fuel, ammunition and supplies arriving from Jordan and Kuwait.
The base offered a pool, theater, post exchange, fast-food outlets, a combat support hospital and its own water purification and bottling plants. Most troops lived in converted shipping containers. Insurgents periodically fired on the base, usually causing little damage.
Marines removed most gear and personnel in 2009 and 2010, and the MEF concluded its operations at Al Asad in March 2010. Army units, including elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, remained until late 2011. U.S. and coalition forces returned in 2014 to fight the Islamic State, and Iranian ballistic missiles struck the base in January 2020.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1981-87 | Qadisiyah Airbase built by Yugoslav contractors for the Iraqi Air Force. |
| 2003 | Australian SAS secured the base on 16 April; the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment took over in May. |
| 2004 | I Marine Expeditionary Force relieved the 3rd ACR in March; Marine F/A-18 and AV-8B squadrons began rotations. |
| 2004-05 | Army Reserve transportation units ran convoys from Al Asad supporting operations including the second battle of Fallujah. |
| 2005 | Three C-130s delivered to the new Iraqi Air Force flew training missions in the Al Asad area. |
| 2007 | President George W. Bush visited on 3 September with Secretary Rice, Secretary Gates and Gen. Peter Pace. |
| 2008 | Azerbaijani forces were recognized at a ceremony at Camp Ripper, Al Asad, on 3 December. |
| 2009-10 | II MEF retrograded most gear and personnel and ended operations at Al Asad in March 2010. |
| 2011 | Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division remained until December; the last civilian personnel left on 16 December. |
| 2014-2026 | U.S. and coalition forces returned to fight ISIL; Iranian missiles struck the base in January 2020; U.S. troops withdrew in January 2026. |
Units stationed at Al Asad Air Base
Units documented in public sources as based at or operating from Al Asad Air Base. 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 | Special Air Service Regiment (Australia) | April 2003 | Secured the airfield on 16 April 2003 | link |
| 2 | 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment | May 2003 - March 2004 | First U.S. unit to hold the base | link |
| 3 | I Marine Expeditionary Force | From March 2004 | Relieved the 3rd ACR and took over the base | link |
| 4 | II Marine Expeditionary Force / Multi-National Force-West | Until January 2010 | Headquarters for coalition operations in Anbar | link |
| 5 | 561st Corps Support Group (Army Reserve) | November 2004 - September 2005 | Logistics | link |
| 6 | 482nd Transportation Company (Army Reserve) | November 2004 - September 2005 | Convoy operations, including supply runs during the second battle of Fallujah | link |
| 7 | VMFA(AW)-242 (F/A-18D) | August 2004 - January 2005; August 2006 - February 2007 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 8 | VMFA(AW)-224 (F/A-18D) | January - August 2005 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 9 | VMFA-142 (F/A-18A+) | February - September 2005 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 10 | VMFA(AW)-332 (F/A-18D) | August 2005 - February 2006 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 11 | VMFA(AW)-533 (F/A-18D) | February - August 2006 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 12 | VMFA(AW)-121 (F/A-18D) | February - August 2007 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 13 | VMFA(AW)-225 (F/A-18D) | August 2007 - March 2008 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 14 | VMFA-122 (F/A-18C) | August 2008 - March 2009 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 15 | VMFA-314 (F/A-18A) | March - September 2009 | Marine fighter attack squadron | link |
| 16 | VMA-542 (AV-8B) | May - November 2004 | Marine attack squadron | link |
| 17 | VMA-214 (AV-8B) | 2004 - February 2005 | Marine attack squadron | link |
| 18 | VMA-311 (AV-8B) | November 2004 - May 2005 | Marine attack squadron | link |
| 19 | VMA-223 (AV-8B) | August 2005 - March 2006 | Marine attack squadron | link |
| 20 | VMA-513 (AV-8B) | March - September 2006 | Marine attack squadron | link |
| 21 | VMA-211 (AV-8B) | September 2006 - March 2007 | Marine attack squadron | link |
| 22 | HMH-361 (CH-53E) | July 2004 - April 2005; October 2007 - May 2008 | Marine heavy helicopter squadron | link |
| 23 | HMH-466 (CH-53E) | October 2008 - May 2009 | Marine heavy helicopter squadron | link |
| 24 | HMM-774 (CH-46E) | August 2004 - March 2006 | Marine medium helicopter squadron | link |
| 25 | VMM-263 (MV-22B) | October 2007 - April 2008 | Marine tiltrotor squadron | link |
| 26 | HMLA-269 (UH-1N/AH-1W) | February - October 2006; February - October 2007 | Marine light attack helicopter squadron | link |
| 27 | VMGR-252 (KC-130J) | February 2005 - February 2006 | Marine aerial refueler transport squadron | link |
| 28 | 224th Aviation Regiment (UH-60A/L) | February 2006 - February 2007 | Army helicopters attached to Marine Aircraft Group 16 | link |
| 29 | MWSS-472 (reinforced) | September 2004 - February 2005; August 2009 - January 2010 | Marine wing support squadron | link |
| 30 | Battery F (HIMARS), 2nd Battalion, 14th Marines | July 2007 - January 2008 | Rocket artillery | link |
| 31 | 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines | March - October 2008 | Marine artillery battalion | link |
| 32 | 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines | September 2009 - April 2010 | Marine Reserve battalion | link |
| 33 | VAQ-142 | May - November 2010 | Navy electronic attack squadron | link |
| 34 | 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division | Not specified | Major tenant | link |
| 35 | 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd BCT, 82nd Airborne Division | May - December 2011 | Brigade support during the final U.S. presence | link |
| 36 | 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (U.S. Air Force) | September - November 2011 | Air Force reconnaissance squadron | link |
| 37 | 332nd Medical Brigade and 321st Sustainment Brigade | Not specified | Listed as major tenants | link |
| 38 | Azerbaijani military contingent | Recognized 3 December 2008 | Ceremony at Camp Ripper, Al Asad, recognizing service that included Haditha Dam security since August 2003 | link |
Notable events and facts
- Al Asad was the second-largest U.S. military air base in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- The Australian Special Air Service Regiment secured the airfield on 16 April 2003.
- A large haboob dust storm rolled over the base on 27 April 2005, as recorded in Marine Corps photography.
- President George W. Bush spent Labor Day, 3 September 2007, with service members at Al Asad, accompanied by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Gen. Peter Pace.
- Abandoned Iraqi MiG-21, MiG-25 and FT-7 aircraft remained on the base after 2003.
- On 8 January 2020, Iranian ballistic missiles struck the base in retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani.
Photographs
Roll call: who served at Al Asad Air Base
No names have been added yet. This roll call is built from the people who served here, one post at a time.
Message board: Al Asad Air Base
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
- Al-Asad Airbase - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Asad_Airbase
- Wikimedia Commons: Sandstorm in Al Asad, Iraq. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sandstorm_in_Al_Asad,_Iraq.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: Azerbaijani soldiers in Iraq 27. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Azerbaijani_soldiers_in_Iraq_27.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: Iraqi Air Force C-130 (cropped). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iraqi_Air_Force_C-130_(cropped).jpg