Multi-National Force West Explained

Unit Name:Multi-National Forces West
Branch:United States Marine Corps
Dates:March 2004 – January 23, 2010
Country: United States of America
Allegiance: United States Marine Corps
Command Structure:Multi-National Force – Iraq, Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Size:37,000 (Peak in February 2008)[1]
Type:Division
Garrison:Camp Fallujah (2004–2008)
Al Asad Airbase (2008–2010)
Battles:Iraq WarAl Anbar campaign
* Operation Vigilant Resolve
* Operation Phantom Fury
Role:Expeditionary combat forces
Notable Commanders:James T. Conway
John F. Kelly
Disbanded:January 23, 2010[2]

Multi-National Forces West (MNF-W) or United States Forces West (USF-W) was one of the coalition headquarters under Multi-National Force-Iraq. It was headquartered by either I or II U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force that rotated on a 12-month basis. Their area of operations was primarily the Al Anbar province which includes the cities of Ar Ramadi, Fallujah, Al-Qa'im, and Haditha. The force was the most important U.S. unit to take part in the Iraq War in Al Anbar Governorate.

Among the smaller multinational units operating within MNF-W was a platoon from the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

Commanders

During the Iraq War, the Marine Corps regularly rotated command of MNF-W between the 1st and 2nd Marine Expeditionary Forces.

MEFCommanderFromTo
I MEFJames T. ConwayMarch 2004September 2004
I MEFJohn F. SattlerSeptember 2004February 2005
II MEFStephen T. JohnsonFebruary 2005February 2006
I MEFRichard C. ZilmerFebruary 2006February 2007
II MEFWalter GaskinFebruary 2007February 2008
I MEFJohn F. KellyFebruary 2008February 2009
II MEFRichard TryonFebruary 2009January 23, 2010

For convenience, these changes of command are listed below and the Marine command in MNF-W is simply referred to as "MEF":I Marine Expeditionary Force
March 2004 – February 2005 (James T. Conway/John F. Sattler)
March 2006 – February 2007 (Richard C. Zilmer)
February 2008 – February 2009 (John F. Kelly)II Marine Expeditionary Force
March 2005 – February 2006 (Stephen T. Johnson)
February 2007 – February 2008 (Walter Gaskin)
March 2009 – January 2010 (Richard T. Tryon)[3]

As the Marine Corps withdrew from Al Anbar Governorate, by September 2009 they were replaced by a single brigade, the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division. The brigade was bolstered with an additional 16 advisers, though this did not reach the 48 assigned advisors that were supposed to be part of an 'Advise and Assist' brigade.[4]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2008/0902/p01s01-wome.html U.S. hands over Anbar, Iraq's once-deadliest region
  2. http://www.centcom.mil/en/news/marines-transfer-anbar-command-exit-iraq.html Marines transfer Anbar command, exit Iraq
  3. Marines transfer Anbar command, exit Iraq . 82nd Airborne Division, United States Army . 25 January 2010 . 11 December 2011.
  4. Book: Gordon . Michael R. . Trainor . Bernard E. . The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama. 2012 . Pantheon Books . New York . 978-0-307-37722-7 . 603.