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Multinational Force Iraq

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This page is about the military command, for more general discussion of the coalition forces see Multinational force in Iraq or Iraq War.

Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) replaced Combined Joint Task Force 7 on May 15, 2004. The land forces component of United States Central Command that carried out the initial invasion of Iraq, designated the Coalition Forces Land Component Command, was established by Commander, US Army Forces Central Command, in 2002/3, to oversee two corps-sized organizations, I Marine Expeditionary Force and V Corps. These two corps-level formations carried out Operation Iraqi Freedom (the U.S. military term) which began on 20 March 2003. CFLCC was replaced by Combined Joint Task Force 7 on 14 June 2003.

Combined Joint Task Force 7

On 23 July 2003 the Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 (OIF-2) rotation for Combined Joint Task Force 7 was announced. The 3rd Infantry Division was to be replaced by the 82nd Airborne Division (-), the I MEF by what was to become Multinational Division South Center, 4th Infantry Division by 1st Infantry Division, with an Army National Guard Brigade attached, 1st Armored Division by 1st Cavalry Division, also with an ARNG Brigade attached, 3 ACR by a Stryker brigade, and 101st Airborne Division by a putative Multinational Division that in the event was never formed. In the event, the 101st was replaced by Task Force Olympia. The 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division and the 173rd Airborne Brigade were to be withdrawn without replacement.

The complete OIF-2 rotation to brigade level under CJTF-7 was as follows (although OIF-1 and OIF-3 units were present at virtually every point during OIF-2):

III Corps

Multi-National Force - Iraq

In its turn, CJTF 7 was replaced by Multinational Force Iraq on May 15, 2004. Multinational Force Iraq was established to handle strategic level issues while Multi-National Corps Iraq (MNC-I) directed the tactical battle. General David H. Petraeus serves as Commanding General. As of mid 2006, the 1st Corps Support Command based at Logistics Support Area Anaconda at Balad, Iraq, was providing theatre logistics support.

The two big units in OIF-3, announced by July 2004, were the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 42nd Infantry Division of the New York National Guard. The 3rd Infantry Division headquarters commanded two brigades of the division and the 256th Infantry Brigade of the Louisiana National Guard. The division relieved the 1st Cavalry Division in and around Baghdad.

OIF-3 rotation

The complete OIF-3 rotation to brigade level under MNF-I was as follows:

Headquarters XVIII Airborne Corps

OIF-4 rotation

The OIF 4 rotation was announced on 14 December 2004.

The 4th Infantry Division's second deployment to Iraq began in the fall of 2005. The division headquarters replaced the 3rd Infantry Division, which had been directing security operations as the headquarters for Multi-National Division - Baghdad. The 4th assumed responsibility on January 7, 2006 for four provinces in central and southern Iraq: Baghdad, Karbala, An-Najaf and Babil. On 7 January 2006, MND-Baghdad also assumed responsibility for training Iraqi security forces and conducting security operations in the four provinces.

The 36th Aviation Brigade's subordination is unclear. It is definitely deployed within MNF-I but whether it is actually under 4th Infantry Division/MND Baghdad is unknown.

The complete rotation to brigade level under MNF-I is as follows:

V Corps (Fwd)

OIF-5 rotation

The Pentagon announced on 20 June 2006 that units that will be deploying to Iraq as part of the OIF 5 rotation of forces:

Multinational Corps Iraq now oversees divisions in the north of Iraq, in the west (Multi-National Division (West) (Iraq), usually manned by units of the United States Marine Corps), in Baghdad, in the Center South sector (Polish Division) and in the south (the British Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq).

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