4th Infantry Division (United States) - History - Iraq War

Iraq War

Alerted on 19 January 2003, the 4th Infantry Division was scheduled to take part in the Iraq War in the spring of 2003 by spearheading an advance from Turkey into northern Iraq. The Turkish Parliament refused to grant permission for the operation and the division's equipment remained offshore on ships during the buildup for the war. Its original mission, holding 13 Iraqi divisions along the "Green Line" in northern Iraq, was executed by the joint Task Force Viking. Arriving through Kuwait after the invasion had started, the division was subjected to multiple "SCUD" alerts while at Camps Wolf and Udairi, necessitating the retreat to bunkers in full chemical protective gear.

The division was unable to deploy in time to start the invasion but joined it as a follow-on force in April 2003 attacking toward Tikrit and Mosul, and later became a major part of occupation forces during the post-war period. Headquartered in Saddam Hussein's former palaces, the 4th ID was deployed in the northern area of the Sunni Triangle near Tikrit. The 4th Infantry Division was spread all over Northern Iraq from Kirkuk to the Iranian border as far south as Balad Air Base in Balad, Iraq. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team headquarters was assigned to Balad Air Base. The 4th Infantry Division also disarmed the MEK warriors in Northern Iraq in July–August 2003.

On 13 December 2003, the 1st Brigade of the 4th ID provided perimeter security for the U.S. special operations forces that captured Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq. The division rotated out of Iraq in the Spring of 2004, and was relieved by the 1st Infantry Division.

Some have been critical of the division under its then-commander Maj. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, calling its stance belligerent during their initial entry into Iraq after the ground war had ceased and arguing that the unit's lack of a 'hearts and minds' approach was ineffective in quelling the insurgency. In his unit's defense, Odierno and others have argued that enemy activity in the 4th ID's area of operations was higher than in any other area of the country because of the region's high concentration of Sunni resistance groups still loyal to Saddam Hussein's regime. His unit was headquartered in Hussein's hometown and this environment necessitated a different approach from those of units located in the more peaceful regions in the south and the north of the country.

• OIF 1 casualties: 81 killed in action

The 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 ID assumed responsibility on 7 January 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.

During the second deployment, 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division was assigned to conduct security operations under the command of Task Force Band of Brothers, led initially by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

• OIF 05–07 casualties: 229 killed in action

In March 2008 the 1st Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq and was stationed in Baghdad. The 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment was detached from the brigade and attached to the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division which was stationed at FOB Rustamiyah in Sadr City Baghdad. The brigade returned home to Fort Hood, Texas in March 2009 and immediately began preparing for reassignment to Fort Carson, Colorado.

In the three deployments to Iraq, 84 4ID/Task Force Ironhorse Soldiers were killed in 2003–2004, 235 4ID/Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers lost their lives in 2005–2006, and 113 4ID/Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers were killed in 2007–2009.

July 2009 saw another division change of command as MG David Perkins took command to become the 56th Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division. With this change of command, even more significant events happened as the 4ID completed 14 years calling Fort Hood, TX home and returned to Fort Carson, CO, where they had served from late 1970 through late 1995. It was at this time that the 4th Division headquarters and the 1st Brigade Combat Team transferred to Fort Carson, Colorado. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Brigades had already relocated and the 4th Infantry Division's Aviation Brigade stayed at Fort Hood, Texas.