Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) began with the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and continued through August 31, 2010. Its history includes the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government, a prolonged insurgency, and years of security and advisory operations.
The Invasion and Its Rationale
Claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were central to the case made for war. They must be distinguished from the findings of the subsequent weapons search: the stockpiles predicted by prewar intelligence were not found. Defense Department reporting on the 2005 intelligence commission expressly acknowledged that failure.
Different Units, Different Operations
The “Thunder Runs” into Baghdad were armored attacks by the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in April 2003. They were not helicopter assaults by the 101st Airborne Division.
In northern Iraq, the 173rd Airborne Brigade conducted Operation Northern Delay, parachuting onto Bashur Airfield on March 26, 2003. The deployment reinforced the northern campaign involving Special Forces and Kurdish partners; it was not the beginning of all coalition activity in the north.
OIF brought together armored, infantry, airborne, aviation, special operations, and supporting forces. Combat parachuting was one method used in a particular operation, not a description of how every airborne-designated unit entered Iraq.
The Longer Campaign
After the initial invasion, successive deployments involved patrols, urban combat, protection of routes and facilities, reconstruction support, and work with Iraqi security forces. Units and their missions changed over the course of the campaign.
OIF and Operation New Dawn
Operation New Dawn began on September 1, 2010, with an emphasis on advising, training, and assisting Iraqi forces. The operation-name transition was separate from the later U.S. withdrawal. AAC's OIF collection honors service during the named operation without extending its official dates through the entire Iraq War.
Historical Sources
- Operation New Dawn. U.S. Army, August 31, 2010. The September 1, 2010 transition from OIF and the advise/train/assist mission.
- Commission Recommends Intelligence Overhaul. American Forces Press Service, Jim Garamone, March 31, 2005; archived on DVIDS. Contemporary Defense Department acknowledgement that predicted Iraqi WMD stockpiles had not been found.
- Setting the Conditions for Mission Command to Flourish. Army University Press, Military Review, July–August 2023. Attributes the Baghdad Thunder Run to 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division.
- Operation Northern Delay: the 173rd Airborne commemorates the 20th anniversary of their last combat jump. U.S. Army, March 26, 2023. The March 26, 2003 Bashur jump and cooperation with Special Forces.
- The Development of Airfield Seizure Operations in the United States Army. Army University Press, Military Review, R. F. M. Williams, 2021. Distinguishes parachute assaults, airlanded reinforcements, and airfield-seizure operations in Grenada, Panama, and Iraq.
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