FOB Falcon
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| Also known as | Camp Al-Saqr; Camp Falcon; Forward Operating Base Falcon; Joint Security Station (JSS) Falcon; Combat Outpost Falcon; Camp Ferrin-Huggins (OIF 2004) |
|---|---|
| Location | Al Rashid district, southern Baghdad, about 13 km south of the Green Zone |
| Type | Forward operating base, later Joint Security Station |
| Category | U.S. installation in Iraq |
| Opened | 2003 (construction began September 2003) |
| Closed or transferred | Late July 2011, handed by 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment to the 2nd Iraqi Federal Police Division |
| Coordinates | 33.21220, 44.36860 (33°12′43.9″N 44°22′07.0″E) |
Overview
Forward Operating Base Falcon, known in Arabic as Camp Al-Saqr, was a U.S. base on the southern edge of Baghdad, about 13 kilometers south of the Green Zone, in the Rashid district. During the 2004 rotation it was designated Camp Ferrin-Huggins. By 2009 it housed up to 5,000 troops.
The base was built from September 2003 as a major engineering project of the 439th Engineer Battalion, which hauled more than 100,000 tons of gravel for roads and helped construct its buildings. Like other bases near populated areas, Falcon was regularly mortared by insurgents firing from surrounding neighborhoods, and small-arms and RPG fire were common in the early years.
On the night of 10 October 2006 an 82mm mortar round reportedly hit the base's ammunition dump, setting off a major explosion and secondary blasts that continued for hours and were broadcast live on CNN. No one was killed, the base resumed normal operations within 24 hours, and the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility. Air Force EOD airmen from the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron later cleared unexploded ordnance from the blast area.
Iraqi officials considered Falcon to be outside Baghdad proper, so it was not affected by the June 30, 2009 deadline for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraqi cities. Units there partnered with the Iraqi national police and hosted community programs such as a November 2008 video teleconference between Iraqi and American schoolchildren.
During Operation New Dawn the base, by then Joint Security Station Falcon, was manned by the 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. In late July 2011 the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, which had been advising the 2nd and 4th Iraqi Federal Police Divisions, turned the buildings and land over to the 2nd Iraqi Federal Police Division for use as its base in the Rashid district.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2003 | The 439th Engineer Battalion began building the base in September. |
| 2004 | The base was designated Camp Ferrin-Huggins during the 2004 rotation. |
| 2006 | On 10 October a mortar round set off the ammunition dump; explosions lasted for hours but caused no casualties. |
| 2007 | Team FOB Falcon played Team Prosperity and the International Zone in the 'Baghdad Bowl' flag football game on 3 February. |
| 2008 | The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Task Force Dragon) had its headquarters on Falcon; in November the 1st BCT, 4th Infantry Division hosted an Iraqi-American student video teleconference. |
| 2009 | Considered outside the city limits, the base stayed open after the 30 June withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities; it housed up to 5,000 troops. |
| 2010-11 | The 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division manned JSS Falcon during Operation New Dawn. |
| 2011 | 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment transferred the base to the 2nd Iraqi Federal Police Division in late July. |
Units stationed at FOB Falcon
Units documented in public sources as based at or operating from FOB Falcon. 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 | 439th Engineer Battalion | September 2003 | Built the base, hauling more than 100,000 tons of gravel for roads and constructing structures | link |
| 2 | 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron (U.S. Air Force EOD) | October 2006 | Destroyed unexploded ordnance recovered after the ammunition-dump explosion | link |
| 3 | 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Task Force Dragon), from Fort Riley, Kan. | February 2008 | Task Force Dragon headquarters on FOB Falcon | link |
| 4 | 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad | November 2008 | Hosted an Iraqi-American schoolchildren video teleconference at the FOB Falcon MWR center | link |
| 5 | 1st Cavalry Division | July 2009 | Dog handlers briefed Iraqi national police during a working-dog demonstration outside FOB Falcon | link |
| 6 | 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division | 2010-2011 (Operation New Dawn) | Manned JSS Falcon | link |
| 7 | 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment | 2011 | Advised the 2nd and 4th Iraqi Federal Police Divisions and transferred the base in July 2011 | link |
| 8 | 2nd Iraqi Federal Police Division | From July 2011 | Took over the base as its headquarters in the Rashid district | link |
Notable events and facts
- The 10 October 2006 ammunition-dump explosion at Falcon was carried live on CNN; no casualties were reported.
- The Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for the 2006 attack.
- Falcon hosted what was described as the first-ever video teleconference between Iraqi and American students on 12 November 2008.
- By 2009 the base housed up to 5,000 troops.
Photographs
Roll call: who served at FOB Falcon
No names have been added yet. This roll call is built from the people who served here, one post at a time.
Message board: FOB Falcon
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
- Joint Security Station Falcon - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Security_Station_Falcon
- Wikimedia Commons: Unpacking explosives. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unpacking_explosives.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: First-ever video conference between Iraqi, U.S. children DVIDS129009. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First-ever_video_conference_between_Iraqi,_U.S._ch
- Wikimedia Commons: 'Darting' to be different DVIDS76348. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:'Darting'_to_be_different_DVIDS76348.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: Iraqi police learn how to distribute information DVIDS225231. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iraqi_police_learn_how_to_distribute_information_D
- Wikimedia Commons: Cultural borders extended during Iraqi, American video teleconference (DVIDS128663). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cultural_borders_extended_during_Iraqi,_American_v
- Wikimedia Commons: Working Dog Demonstration (DVIDS188734). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Working_Dog_Demonstration_DVIDS188734.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: Al Salam Palace (Baghdad, Iraq) 2007. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Al_Salam_Palace_(Baghdad,_Iraq)_2007.jpg