Forward Operating Base
Encyclopedia
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported by main operating bases that are required to provide backup support to them. A FOB also improves reaction time and increases time on task to forces operating from it.
Elements of a FOB
In its most basic form, a FOB consists of a ring of barbed wire around a position with a fortified entry control point, or ECP. More advanced FOBs would include an assembly of earthen dams, concrete barriers, gates, watchtowers, bunkers and other force protection infrastructure. They are often built from Hesco bastionHesco bastion
The HESCO bastion is both a modern gabion used for flood control and military fortification and the name of the British company that developed it in the late 1980s. It is made of a collapsible wire mesh container and heavy duty fabric liner, and used as a temporary to semi-permanent dike or barrier...
s.
FOBs in Iraq
- FOB Abu Ghraib
- FOB Bernstein, Named for 1/st LT David A. Bernstein.
- FOB Al Asad
- FOB CaldwellFOB Caldwell- Origin :Forward Operating Base Caldwell was named for United States Army Specialist Nathaniel A. Caldwell of Omaha, Nebraska who was killed in action on May 21, 2003 while responding to a civilian call when his vehicle rolled over in Baghdad, Iraq...
, an American compound within Kirkush Military Training Base east of Balad Ruz. - FOB CarpenterFOB CarpenterForward Operating Base Carpenter, near Salman Pak, Iraq, honored Specialist Four Thomas Carpenter, Jr., U.S. Army, who was killed in a sapper attack on his base at Kontum, Vietnam, on January 10, 1968. His name is engraved on Panel 34E, Row 15 of the Vietnam War Memorial...
- FOB Courage, the Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
palace complex in Mosul returned to the Iraqi government by the 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
in 2006. - FOB Dagger
- FOB DangerForward Operating Base DangerForward Operating Base Danger was a forward operating base operated by United States military forces in Tikrit, Iraq from the time of the occupation of Iraq in 2003 until November 2005 when it was handed over to the government of Iraq. The base was centered on Saddam Hussein's presidential palace...
, formerly FOB Ironhorse. Former Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
palace complex in TikritTikritTikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
. Last occupied by the 42nd Infantry Division, and returned to the Iraqi government by the 101st Airborne Division101st Airborne DivisionThe 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
in 2005. - FOB Delta
- FOB Dibbis
- FOB FalconForward Operating Base FalconForward Operating Base Falcon, referred to by some media sources as Camp Falcon, is a United States military forward operating base in Iraq a short distance outside of Baghdad, some south of the Green Zone. For a time it was designated as "Camp Ferrin-Huggins"...
- FOB ECHO
- FOB EDGE
- Camp Fallujah
- FOB Garryowen (often incorrectly called "FOB Garry Owen")
- FOB Grizzly
- FOB Hammer, formerly Shakoosh
- FOB Hit
- FOB Independence
- FOB IskandariyahFOB IskandariyahForward Operating Base Iskandariyah , or FOB Iskandariyah, was a United States military forward operating base located on the grounds of the Musayyib Power Plant and the banks of the Euphrates River, north of the town of Musayyib, Babil Governorate, Iraq from 2003 to 2009.-Establishment:Forward...
(formerly FOB Chosin) - FOB Justice
- FOB KalsuFOB KalsuForward Operating Base Kalsu, also known as FOB Kalsu or simply Camp Kalsu, is a U.S. Military installation in Iskandariya, Iraq, 20 miles south of Baghdad.-Founding of FOB Kalsu:...
- FOB Loyalty
- FOB Marez, colocated at the Mosul airport Logistics Support AreaLogistics Support AreaIn the United States Army, a Logistics Support Area is a military term which refers to military facilities which act as depot, barracks, and transportation hubs, providing supplies and personnel to facilities closer to or within arenas of armed conflict...
Diamondback. - FOB MacKenzieFOB MacKenzieFOB MacKenzie formerly FOB Pacesetter is a US Army Forward Operating Base that is located in Northern Iraq approximately 96 kilometers North of Baghdad, and about 12 kilometers Northeaast of the Tigris River. The airbase is served by a single long runway...
, in SamarraSamarraSāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
, Formerly FOB Pacesetter / Camp Pacesetter, named for Ranald S. MackenzieRanald S. MackenzieRanald Slidell Mackenzie was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its most promising young officer...
. - FOB McHenry, located near Al HawijahHawijaHawija is a town near Kirkuk north of Baghdad.Hawijah is in the Al-Tamim province of Iraq and approximately 30 miles south of Kirkuk. There are approximately 450,000 people in and around Hawijah with an estimated 80% Sunni Population. While the city itself has about 150.000 with 98% Sunni...
- FOB Nimur, in Sinjar
- FOB Normandy. Located near Muqdadiyah.
- FOB Q-WestFOB Q-WestForward Operations Base Al-Qayyarah West is a US Military base in Iraq that is south of Mosul, west of Kirkuk, and north of Tikrit....
(or Qayyarah Airfield West), formerly known as Camp Endurance, now designated as a Contingency Operating Base (COB). - FOB Reaper, south side of Fallujah
- FOB Rustamiayah
- FOB Saint Michael
- FOB Shield
- FOB Speicher - Speicher has been designated a Contingency Operating Base (COB) now. Located outside TikritTikritTikrit is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river . The town, with an estimated population in 2002 of about 260,000 is the administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate.-Ancient times:...
at an air base that formerly served as the Iraqi Air Force academy. - FOB SykesFOB SykesFOB Sykes is a US Army Forward Operating Base in Iraq located approximately five miles south of the Iraqi city of Tall'Afar and 40 miles east of the Iraq-Syria border....
- Tal Afar - FOB Summerall, located near Bayji
- Camp TajiCamp TajiCamp Taji is a military installation, also known as Camp Cooke used by coalition forces near Taji or Al Taji , Iraq. The camp is located in a rural region approximately north of the city of Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate.-History:...
- FOB TQ Al Taqaddum Airbase
- FOB Yusufiyah
- FOB War Eagle
- FOB Warhorse, located near Baquoba in Diyala Province
- FOB Warrior, located at the air base at Kirkuk
- FOB Prosperity - Green Zone
- FOB Pasab (Formerly Wilson), located near Ad Dwar
- FOB Cobra, located near Jalula, Diyala Province
- FOB Trotter - Ramadi, named after SGT Trotter who was killed in the city in 2004.
- FOB COP - Ramadi, there was an original COP (combat outpost), that name became confused by the term FOB and soon more "COP"s appeared throughout Iraq. Turned over to Iraqi Army in 2008.
- FOB Corregidor - Ramadi, named after the battle at CorregidorCorregidorCorregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
in 1945 from the unit that opened the FOB, 503rd Infantry Regiment. The FOB was opened from 2004 to 2008.
FOBs in Afghanistan
- FOB Airborne in Wardak province
- FOB Altimur in Logar province
- FOB Anaconda, near Khas Oruzgan
- FOB ArmadilloFOB ArmadilloFOB Armadillo was a military base located near Gereshk in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. It was occupied by ISAF forces from Britain and Denmark as part of Task Force Helmand during the War in Afghanistan...
, British and Danish (FOB Budwan is its new name, as of 2010) - Forward Operating Base Bakwah
- Forward Operating Base Bala Murghab
- Forward Operating Base Blessing
- Forward Operating Base Boris
- Forward Operating Base Bostick
- FOB Chapman, Khost ProvinceKhost ProvinceKhost is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the east of the country. Khost province used to be part of Paktia province in the past...
- Camp Clark, Khost ProvinceKhost ProvinceKhost is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the east of the country. Khost province used to be part of Paktia province in the past...
- FOB Cobra, near Char Chiehna
- FOB Connolly, Khogyani District, Nangarhar Province
- COP Curry Paktika Province
- FOB DelaramFOB DelaramForward Operating Base Delaram in Afghanistan is a military expeditionary base built by the United States Marine Corps. It is located on the Ring Road in Delaram.-History:...
, United States Marines Corps (USMC) - FOB Delhi, USMC
- Camp DwyerCamp DwyerCamp Dwyer in Afghanistan is a military base and air field of the United States Marine Corps. It is in the Helmand River Valley in the Garmsir District...
, Helmand Province, USMC - FOB Edinburgh, British
- FOB Fenty, near Jalalabad
- Fiddler's GreenFiddler's Green (FOB)Fiddler's Green is an expeditionary fire base in Afghanistan built by the United States Marine Corps. It is located off Route 605 in Nawa-I-Barakzayi District of Helmand Province...
, USMC - FOB Frontenac in Kandahar, built by Canadians
- Forward Operating Base Gardez
- FOB GeronimoFOB GeronimoFOB Geronimo in Afghanistan is a military expeditionary base built by the United States Marine Corps. It is in along the Helmand River Valley in Nawa-I-Barakzayi District. It was originally built by 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in 2009.-See also:...
, USMC - FOB Ghazni, Polish Task Force
- FOB Ghowrmach, Faryab Province, Norwegian and US
- FOB GibraltarFOB GibraltarFOB Gibraltar is a British-manned Forward Operating Base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan next to the Helmand River, near the town of Sangin. It is named after the port of Gibraltar, which was the lynchpin of British Naval dominance in the Mediterenean....
, now closed - Combat Outpost Herrera
- FOB Hunter
- FOB Hutal, Canadian
- FOB Inkerman, British
- FOB Jackson, British. Named for Pte Damien Jackson, 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment
- PB JakerPB JakerPatrol Base Jaker in Afghanistan is a military expeditionary base used by the United States Marine Corps. It is in along the Helmand River Valley in Nawa-I-Barakzayi. It was originally built by the British Army of Task Force Helmand in 2008. In June 2009, it was transferred to the Marines of 2nd...
, USMC - FOB Joyce, Konar Province
- Forward Operating Base Kalagush
- Combat Outpost Keating
- FOB Keenan, British and Danish
- FOB Kushamond Paktika ProvincePaktika ProvincePaktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-east of the country. Most of the population is Pashtun. Its capital is Sharan.-Political and military situation:...
- Forward Operating Base Lane
- FOB Lightning Paktia ProvincePaktia ProvincePaktia , is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the east of the country. Its capital is Gardez. The population is predominantly Pashtun.- History:...
- FOB Lindsey Kandahar ProvinceKandahar ProvinceKandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helmand, Oruzgan and Zabul provinces. Its capital is the city of Kandahar, which is located on the Arghandab River. The province has a population of nearly...
- FOB Logar
- FOB Ma'sum Ghar, Canadian
- Combat Outpost Margah
- FOB Mehtar Lam
- FOB Mizan
- Forward Operating Base Naray
- Camp Nathan SmithCamp Nathan SmithCamp Nathan Smith is an American military base in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. Originally, it was an abandoned fruit factory. In November 2003, it was built and operated by the US Army Soldiers of Charlie Battery, 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment from Fort Bragg, North Carolina...
- FOB Nolay, British
- Forward Operating Base Orgun-E
- FOB Price, Danish and British (USMC platoon attached there in 2008 2/7 Echo Co)
- Forward Operating Base Puza-i-Eshan
- Forward Operating Base RamrodForward Operating Base RamrodForward Operating Base Ramrod is a foreign military base in Maywand District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.The base was initially built by the Fort Hood based Bravo Company 62nd Engineer Battalion....
, Kandahar Province, U.S. Army - FOB RhinoCamp RhinoForward operating base Rhino, also known as Camp Rhino, was the first US land base established in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. It was located in the Registan Desert, southwest of Kandahar.-History:...
- FOB Ripley, near Tarin KowtTarin KowtTarinkot or Tarin Kowt is the capital of Orūzgān province in southern Afghanistan in Tarin Kowt District. It is a town of about 10,000 people, with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar...
also called FOB Davis or Kamp HollandKamp HollandKamp Holland is the main Dutch military base on the outskirts of Tarin Kowt, the provincial capital of Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan.... - FOB RobinsonFOB RobinsonFOB Robinson is a Forward Operating Base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is located next to the Helmand River, near the town of Heydarabad....
, British - FOB Rushmore, Paktia Province
- FOB SalernoFOB SalernoFOB Salerno is a forward operating base of the U.S. military in south eastern province of Khowst, near the city of Khost in Afghanistan. It has been nicknamed "Rocket City" due to the large amounts of incoming rocket and mortar fire in previous years...
- FOB Sandford, Danish
- FOB Sharana, near Pakistan border
- FOB Sperwan Ghar, Canadian
- FOB Spin Boldak, Canadian
- FOB Shank
- Camp Stone
- Forward Operating Base Thunder
- FOB Tillman
- FOB Todd, Murghab District, Badghis Province, Afghanistan
- FOB Tombstone, Lashkar Gar area. Near Camp LeatherneckCamp LeatherneckCamp Leatherneck is a 1,600 acre United States Marine Corps base located in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade initially developed Camp Leatherneck in 2008 in preparation of its forces deploying to Afghanistan. The forward element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force...
, formerly FOB Tombstone II, and British Camp Bastion - FOB Tora, France
- FOB Tycz
- FOB Warrior, Polish Battlegroup B
- FOB Waza Khwa Paktika ProvincePaktika ProvincePaktika is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the south-east of the country. Most of the population is Pashtun. Its capital is Sharan.-Political and military situation:...
- FOB Wilson, Canadian
- FOB Wishtan, British, (Was Former USMC 2008, 2/7 Echo CO)
- FOB Wolf
- FOB Wolverine, Karezgay, Zabul ProvinceZabul ProvinceZabul is a historic province of Afghanistan. Zabul became an independent province from neighbouring Kandahar in 1963, with Qalat being named the provincial capital. It should not be confused with the city Zabol, on the Iranian side of the border with Afghanistan.- Political and security situation...
- FOB Zeebrugge, British
- FOB Zormot
FOBs in the United States
- FOB Border Wolf, Deming, New Mexico
- FOB Cannon, Yuma, Arizona
- CBP FOB Desert Grip, Arizona (Also known as Camp Grip and Desert Camp Grip.) Located approximately 75 miles southeast of Yuma, Arizona in the US Border Patrol's Yuma Sector.
- Donna Anna Base Camp/FOB, New Mexico, used for training purposes
- Lordsburg/FOB, New Mexico
- Tucson/FOB, Arizona
- FOB Sentinel, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
- Sea-Based X-Band RadarSea-based X-band RadarSea-Based X-Band Radar is a floating, self-propelled, mobile radar station designed to operate in high winds and heavy seas. It is part of the U.S. Defense Department Ballistic Missile Defense System....
FOB, AdakAdak IslandAdak Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost town, Adak, is located on the island...
, Alaska - FOB Mailfoot, Fort Benning, Georgia
See also
- Advance airfieldAdvance airfieldAdvance airfield and forward airfield are military terms for a relatively primitive airfield used for refueling and re-arming air units as part of forward operations near the enemy...
- Advanced Landing GroundAdvanced Landing GroundAdvanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
- Fire support baseFire support baseA fire support base is a military encampment designed to provide indirect fire artillery fire support to infantry operating in areas beyond the normal range of direct fire support from their own base camps....
- Forward Operating SiteForward Operating SiteA Forward Operating Site or Forward Operating Location is a U.S. military term for facilities, defined as "a scalable, 'warm' facility that can support sustained operations, but with only a small permanent presence of support or contractor personnel...
- Loss of Strength GradientLoss of Strength GradientThe Loss of Strength Gradient was devised by Kenneth Boulding in 1962. He argued that the amount of a nation’s military power that could be brought to bear in any part of the world depended on geographic distance. The Loss of Strength Gradient demonstrated, in graphical form, that the further away...
- Main Operating BaseMain Operating BaseMain Operating Base is a term used by the United States military defined as "an overseas, permanently manned, well protected base, used to support permanently deployed forces, and with robust sea and/or air access." This term was used to differentiate major strategic overseas military facilities...