Joint Security Station Falcon

{{Short description|Former United States military operating base in Iraq}} {{coord|33.2122|N|44.3686|E|scale:10000|display=title}} '''Camp Al-Saqr''', referred to by some media sources as '''Camp Falcon''', '''Forward Operating Base Falcon''', '''Joint Security Station (JSS) Falcon''', or '''Combat Outpost Falcon''', was a United States military forward operating base in Iraq a short distance outside Baghdad, some {{convert|13|km|mi}} south of the Green Zone. In OIF 2004; it was designated as "[https://www.iraqwarheroes.org/2004/ferrin.htm Camp Ferrin-Huggins]". {{As of|2009}}, the base housed up to 5,000 troops.<ref name="Nordland">{{cite news |author=Nordland, Rod |title=Exceptions to Iraq Deadline Are Proposed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/world/middleeast/27withdraw.html |work=The New York Times |date=April 26, 2009 |accessdate=June 20, 2009}}</ref>

==History== In September 2003, the construction of FOB Falcon (Camp Al-Saqr) in Iraq was a major engineering project for the [https://www.koreanwar.org/html/units/439en.htm 439th Engineer Battalion]. The battalion transported more than 100,000 tons of gravel for constructing roads, and took part in construction of the base's structures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rasheed Airbase |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/rasheed.htm |work=GlobalSecurity.org |date=January 21, 2007 |accessdate=June 20, 2009}}</ref>

Because FOB Falcon was considered by Iraqi officials to be outside of Baghdad proper, it was not affected by the planned withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraqi cities by June 30, 2009.<ref name="Nordland"/> It was not uncommon for bases like FOB Falcon to be mortared by insurgents who used the surrounding neighborhoods as cover, risking the lives of Iraq civilians and those who lived on the FOB while they served. Small arms fire and the use of RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades) were also common and more prevalent during the early years of the deployments.

===10 October 2006 attack=== thumb|Members of a U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal team unpack C-4 explosives, Oct. 16, 2006. The explosives will be used to detonate a cache of unexploded ordnance recovered from a blast area on Forward Operating Base Falcon, Iraq, following a recent mortar attack. The airmen are assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron.

On October 10, 2006, at about 10:40 p.m. (1940 GMT), a major explosion rocked the base, reportedly due to the base's ammunition dump being hit by an 82mm mortar round fired by Iraqi insurgents. Further explosions continued for hours. Images of the explosions were carried live on CNN.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Ammo Dump Erupts in Baghdad; North Korean Nuke Test Yield Still Uncertain |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/10/sitroom.03.html |work=CNN |date=October 10, 2006 |accessdate=June 20, 2009}}</ref> There were no casualties. According to the official Department of Defense report released by US Central Command, the base resumed normal duties within 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-08-04|title='Longknife' Squadron departs Joint Security Station Falcon as part of transition to Iraqi self-sufficiency|url=https://www.ausa.org/articles/longknife-squadron-departs-joint-security-station-falcon-part-transition-iraqi-self|access-date=2020-08-01|website=Association of the United States Army|language=en}}</ref>

Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack.

===Operation New Dawn=== During Operation New Dawn, JSS Falcon was manned by 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. The base was transferred to the Iraqi Federal Police by 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment in late July 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title='Longknife' Squadron departs Joint Security Station Falcon as part of transition to Iraqi self-sufficiency |url=http://www.1id.army.mil/NewsViewer.aspx?id=5411 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719041952/http://www.1id.army.mil/NewsViewer.aspx?id=5411 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-19 }}</ref> 5th of the 4th Cavalry had been advising both 2nd and 4th Iraqi Federal Police Divisions. The buildings and the land were turned over to 2nd Iraqi Federal Police Division to be used as a base of operations in the Rasheed district of Baghdad. Before the move, the 2nd IFP Div. was already operationally responsible for the area surrounding JSS Falcon, making the transition relatively seamless.

==References== {{commons category|Forward Operating Base Falcon}} {{reflist}}

Category:Occupation of Iraq Category:Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) Category:Installations of the United States Army in Iraq Category:Industrial fires and explosions in Iraq Category:2006 building bombings Category:2006 disasters in Iraq Category:Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2006 Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2006 Category:October 2006 in Iraq Category:October 2006 crimes in Asia Category:Ammunition depot bombings Category:Attacks on military installations in 2006 Category:Attacks on military installations in Iraq Category:Building bombings in Iraq Category:Baghdad Governorate in the Iraq War Category:Military installations established in 2003