{{Infobox military unit |unit_name=Multi-National Forces West |image=Logo of Multi National Force - West.svg |image_size=150px |caption=The logo for MNF-W |branch=[[United States Marine Corps]] |dates= March 2004 – January 23, 2010 |country={{flagicon|USA}} [[United States of America]] |allegiance=[[File:USMC logo.svg|20px|alt=|link=]] [[United States Marine Corps]] |command_structure=[[Multi-National Force – Iraq]], [[Multi-National Corps – Iraq]] |size=[[File:Multi National Force - West.jpg|25px]]37,000 (Peak in February 2008)<ref name="CSMonitor Anbar">[https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2008/0902/p01s01-wome.html U.S. hands over Anbar, Iraq's once-deadliest region]</ref> |type=[[Division (military)|Division]] |garrison=[[Camp Fallujah]] (2004–2008)<br /> [[Al Asad Airbase]] (2008–2010) |battles= '''[[Iraq War]]''' – [[Iraq War in Al Anbar Governorate|Al Anbar campaign]]<br />* [[Operation Vigilant Resolve]]<br />* [[Operation Phantom Fury]] |role=Expeditionary combat forces |notable_commanders=[[James T. Conway]]<br />[[John F. Kelly (Marine)|John F. Kelly]] |disbanded=January 23, 2010<ref>[http://www.centcom.mil/en/news/marines-transfer-anbar-command-exit-iraq.html Marines transfer Anbar command, exit Iraq] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205025050/http://www.centcom.mil/en/news/marines-transfer-anbar-command-exit-iraq.html |date=2010-02-05}}</ref> |decorations= }} '''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 (town)|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. {| class="wikitable" |- ! MEF ! Commander ! From ! To |- | [[I MEF]] | [[James T. Conway]] | March 2004 | September 2004 |- | [[I MEF]] | [[John F. Sattler]] | September 2004 | February 2005 |- | [[II MEF]] | [[Stephen T. Johnson]] | February 2005 | February 2006 |- | [[I MEF]] | [[Richard C. Zilmer]] | February 2006 | February 2007 |- | [[II MEF]] | [[Walter Gaskin]] | February 2007 | February 2008 |- | [[I MEF]] | [[John F. Kelly]] | February 2008 | February 2009 |- | [[II MEF]] | [[Richard T. Tryon|Richard Tryon]] | February 2009 | January 23, 2010 |}
For convenience, these [[Change of command|changes of command]] are listed below and the Marine command in MNF-W is simply referred to as "MEF": {{col-begin|width=auto}} {{col-break}} '''[[I Marine Expeditionary Force]]'''<br>March 2004 – February 2005 ([[James T. Conway]]/[[John F. Sattler]])<br>March 2006 – February 2007 ([[Richard C. Zilmer]])<br>February 2008 – February 2009 ([[John F. Kelly]]) {{col-break}} '''[[II Marine Expeditionary Force]]'''<br>March 2005 – February 2006 ([[Stephen T. Johnson]])<br>February 2007 – February 2008 ([[Walter E. Gaskin|Walter Gaskin]])<br>March 2009 – January 2010 ([[Richard T. Tryon]]) {{col-end}}<ref name="MarineTransfer">{{Cite press release |title=Marines transfer Anbar command, exit Iraq |publisher=82nd Airborne Division, United States Army |date=25 January 2010 |url=http://www.centcom.mil/news/marines-transfer-anbar-command-exit-iraq |accessdate=11 December 2011}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gordon |first1=Michael R. |last2=Trainor |first2=Bernard E. |title=The Endgame: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from George W. Bush to Barack Obama|year=2012 |publisher=Pantheon Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-37722-7 |page=603}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090215100517/http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil/ Official Public Website for Multi-National Forces - West]
[[Category:Multinational force involved in the Iraq War]] [[Category:Military units and formations of the United States Marine Corps]] [[Category:United States Marine Corps in the Iraq War]] [[Category:Ad hoc units and formations of the United States Marine Corps]] [[Category:Military units and formations established in 2004]] [[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 2010]] [[Category:Al Anbar Governorate in the Iraq War]]