List of coalition military operations of the Iraq War
2003
Though the initial war lasted for only 21 days, the coalition soon found themselves fighting insurgent forces. Upon completion of the initial conflict the coalition troops began counterinsurgency, humanitarian, security and various other types of operations in order to stabilize the country.

List of coalition military operations of the Iraq War

Section Title: 2003
Table Section Text: Though the initial war lasted for only 21 days, the coalition soon found themselves fighting insurgent forces. Upon completion of the initial conflict the coalition troops began counterinsurgency, humanitarian, security and various other types of operations in order to stabilize the country.

Battle/Operation name	From date	To date	Location	Purpose/Result

Operation Iraqi Freedom	19 March 2003	31 August 2010	Iraq	U.S. invasion/war on terror in Iraq.

Operation Option North	2003	2003	Kirkuk	Counterinsurgency: Objective was to seize the city, the northern oil fields and several military airfields in the area

Operation Bastille	September 2002	March 2003	Throughout Iraq	Forward Presence: Was the code name for the operation to deploy force elements and prepare for possible combat operations in Iraq

Objective Buford	March 2003	March 2003	Bashur, near the city of	Security: Set up a perimeter and traffic checkpoints around an airfield, which has a runway 6,700 feet (2,000 m).

Battle of Umm Qasr	21 March 2003	25 March 2003	Umm Qasr	Battle: Was the first military confrontation in the Second Iraq War.

Battle of Nasiriyah	23 March 2003	29 March 2003	Nasiriyah	Battle: During the fighting 18 Marines and 11 soldiers were killed and about 50 were wounded, while the Iraqi heroic resistance was neutralized fairly rapidly thereafter.

Operation Northern Delay	26 March 2003	26 March 2003	Bashur Airfield	Security: Forced the Iraqi Army to maintain approximately six divisions in the area to protect its northern flank, providing strategic relief for Coalition Forces advancing on Baghdad

Battle of Baghdad	3 April 2003	12 April 2003	Baghdad	Battle: The invasion of the city commenced three days after Allied forces had secured the Baghdad airport

Battle of Debecka Pass	6 April 2003	6 April 2003	Debecka Pass	Battle: To secure a major crossroads near the village of Debecka

Operation Airborne Dragon	7 April 2003	7 April 2003	Bashur Airfield, northern Iraq	Contingency: Marked the beginning of the first expeditionary insertion of a U.S. armored force into combat by air.

Operation Planet X	15 May 2003	15 May 2003	A village near Ad Dawr and Al Dur, 11 mi (18 km) north of Tikrit	Contingency: American raid to capture Ba'athists

Operation Peninsula Strike	9 June 2003	13 June 2003	Balad	Contingency: American raid to capture Ba'athists.

Operation Desert Snowplough	12 June 2003	3 August 2007	Al-Qurna district North of Basra	Contingency: Codename for Danish operations under British command.

Operation Desert Scorpion	15 June 2003	29 June 2003	Fallujah, from Kirkuk in the north to Taji in the south	Contingency: American raid to capture Ba'athists. (included a number of lesser operations such as Scorpion Sting, Spartan Scorpion and Rifles Scorpion)

Operation Spartan Scorpion	15 June 2003	16 June 2003	Throughout Iraq	Contingency: Consisted of nationwide raids designed to remove all remaining Ba'ath Party, non-compliant forces and paramilitary forces

Operation Scorpion Sting	16 June 2003	16 June 2003	the Thawra neighborhood of Baghdad	Contingency: Coalition soldiers found and confiscated three pistols, one rifle, two mortar rounds and detained 31 suspected criminals

Operation Sidewinder	29 June 2003	7 July 2003	a city about 20 kilometers east of al Taji	Contingency: Raids against suspected Hussein supporters. Was designed in support of Operation Desert Scorpion.

Operation Iron Bullet	July 2003	July 2003	Baghdad	Security: Was designed to collect dangerous ordnance and transport it out of the city where it can be safely handled or destroyed

Operation Tyr	July 2003	July 2003	Tikrit	Security: Destroyed a series of stationary targets without risk of civilian casualties but with high visibility. Was an assault conducted by the 4th Infantry Division in Tikrit, primarily as a show of force to deter terrorist and anti-coalition forces.

Operation Ivy Serpent	12 July 2003	21 July 2003	a region along Highway 1 between the cities of Bayji, Huwayiah and Samarra	Counterinsurgency: Was a preemptive strike focused aggressively on non-compliant forces and former regime leaders who are planning attacks against coalition forces in an attempt to hinder coalition and Iraqi efforts in building a new Iraq.

Operation Soda Mountain	12 July 2003	17 July 2003	throughout Iraq	Counterinsurgency: To increase reconnaissance and presence throughout the whole of Iraq to deter, disrupt and rapidly defeat attacks on coalition forces.

Operation White House	16 July 2003	16 July 2003	Baghdad	Counterinsurgency: Troops of the 101st Airborne Division stormed the residence of Samir Abd Al-Aziz Al-Najim, the central Baath Party chairman for Baghdad

Operation Tapeworm	22 July 2003	22 July 2003	Mosul	Security and counterinsurgency: killing of Uday and Qusay Hussein, Saddam Hussein's sons

Operation Ivy Lightning	12 August 2003	12 August 2003	Baghdad, Ain Lalin and Quara Tapa along the Jabal Hamrin Ridge north of the city	Counterinsurgency: A number of small weapons stores were uncovered. Was a raid conducted by elements of the U.S.

Operation Silverado	16 August 2003	16 August 2003	Subak Sur	Counterinsurgency: To capture suspected insurgents and seize weapons stockpiles. Was a small operation conducted by the 39th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate/Enhanced) of the Arkansas National Guard in Subak Sur.

Operation Ivy Needle	26 August 2003	26 August 2003	Khalis, in and near; 70 kilometers north of Baghdad	Counterinsurgency: Was a raid conducted by elements of the 4th Infantry Division in and near Khalis, seventy kilometers north of Baghdad, on 26 August 2003.

Operation Longstreet	September 2003	September 2003	between Baghdad and Fallujah	Counterinsurgency: Numerous weapons stores were destroyed and enemy personnel taken into custody without the loss of a single American life. Was a two-week series of raids and cordon operations conducted by elements of the First Armored Division and the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Operation Desert Thrust	October 2003	October 2003	throughout Iraq	Counterinsurgency: Was the name given by 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division to their operations in Iraq beginning on their arrival in October 2003

Operation Chamberlain	October 2003	October 2003	Sinjar, the border southwest of	Security and Surveillance: Was an American border-security operation mentioned in press releases on 15 October 2003. It involved ground surveillance Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft to feed information to ground elements of the 101st Airborne Division in near–real time.

Operation Industrial Sweep	October 2003	October 2003	Samarra	Counterinsurgency: Was a search of parts of the city of Samarra by elements of the 4th Infantry Division during Post-invasion Iraq.

Operation Tiger Clean Sweep	7 October 2003	7 October 2003	Security and Counterinsurgency: : Was a border security operation conducted by the "Tiger" Squadron of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment announced on 7 September 2003 near Al Qa'im.

Operation Sweeny	15 October 2003	15 October 2003	southern Iraq	Law enforcement: Anti-smuggling operation by the Marines. Elements of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable(SOC)completed humanitarian assistance, anti-smuggling and security and stabilization operations, 25 October in southern Iraq as part of Operation Sweeney.

Operation O.K. Corral	19 October 2003	October 2003	Ar Ramadi	Counterinsurgency: Over ninety people were detained, including four senior officers of the former Iraqi Army. Was a sweep operation conducted by elements of the 82nd Airborne Division in Ar Ramadi beginning on 19 October 2003.

Operation Abalone	31 October 2003	31 October 2003	Ramadi	Members of A Squadron 22 SAS, assaulted three compounds/dwellings on the outskirts of Ramadi where US intelligence had tracked a Sudanese jihadist who was facilitating Islamist militants into Iraq.

Operation Eagle Curtain	November 2003	November 2003	northern Iraq	Security and Counterinsurgency: Troops participated in 311 patrols, four cordon and knock operations, and eventually detained eight individuals. Was a series of raids and roadblocks conducted by the 101st Airborne Division.

Operation All American Tiger	6 November 2003	2003	Counterinsurgency: Was an operation with an objective of capturing insurgents associated with the old regime. At least a dozen prisoners were taken, several of whom were on the American "Most Wanted" list.

Operation Rifle Sweep	6 November 2003	6 November 2003	the Iraq-Syria border	Counterinsurgency: Focused on the search and seizure of weapons and munitions

Operation Ivy Cyclone	7 November 2003	November 2003	Tikrit	Counterinsurgency: Was designed to locate and detain or eliminate persons seeking to harm coalition forces or Iraqi civilians. The operation was executed by the 4th Infantry Division.

Operation Boothill	10 November 2003	10 November 2003	Ar Ramadi	Counterinsurgency: Was designed to clear and secure the roads outside the city and to seize any contraband weapons.

Operation Iron Hammer (Matraqa Hadidia)	12 November 2003	2003	Baghdad	Security and Counterinsurgency: Was a joint operation between the US Army, US Air Force and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps with the objective of preventing the staging of weapons by anti-coalition forces, and preemptively destroy enemy operating bases and fighters in Baghdad

Operation Ivy Cyclone II	17 November 2003	2003	Tikrit, near	Counterinsurgency: American operation near Tikrit

Operation Rifles Blitz	20 November 2003	2003	Al Qaim	Security: Was a house-to-house search of the Iraqi Syria-frontier border region close to Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, led by the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Operation Rifle Sweep	26 November 2003	26 November 2003	along the Iraq-Syria border	Counterinsurgency: Focused on the search and seizure of weapons and munitions

Operation Bayonet Lightning	2 December 2003	2 December 2003	Al Hawija and the village of Rashad, 60 km (37 mi) to the south of Kirkuk	Counterinsurgency: Designed to capture weapons, materials, and people that posed a threat against Coalition Forces

Operation Bulldog Mammoth	4 December 2003	4 December 2003	Baghdad, northwest of	Security: American search of an apartment complex.

Operation Clear Area	6 December 2003	6 December 2003	Central Iraq, between Ar Rifa'i and Qal'at Sukkar	Counterinsurgency: Was a search and seizure operation utilizing vehicle check points

Operation Abilene	8 December 2003	8 December 2003	Al Anbar province	Counterinsurgency: Soldiers initiated 12 raids that resulted in the capture of 12 individuals and a number of various weapons. Was conducted by the US Army's 1st Infantry Division, 1st Brigade.

Operation Panther Squeeze	10 December 2003	10 December 2003	Latifiya	Counterinsurgency: Was a series of 18 night-time raids by elements of the 82nd Airborne Division. These raids seem to have been in response to an ambush that killed seven Spanish intelligence officers in November.

Operation Red Dawn	13 December 2003	13 December 2003	ad-Dawr	Security and counterinsurgency: American capture of Saddam Hussein.

Operation Panther Backroads	15 December 2003	15 December 2003	Ar Ramadi	Law enforcement and counterinsurgency: Was an attempt to stop insurgent smuggling. Was launched by the 82nd Airborne Division in the Sunni Triangle in an attempt to stop insurgent smuggling.

Operation Arrowhead Blizzard	17 December 2003	17 December 2003	Samarra	Counterinsurgency: Seven targets classified as high-value were captured by the 4th Infantry Division and the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in the Sunni Triangle.

Operation Ivy Blizzard	17 December 2003	17 December 2003	Samarra	Counterinsurgency: Counterinsurgency sweep by US forces

Operation Iron Justice	18 December 2003	18 December 2003	Baghdad, southern portion	Law enforcement: Captured 28 fuel trucks and nine propane trucks illegally dispensing fuel as part of black market activity. Was a U.S.

Operation Rifles Fury	21 December 2003	December 2003	Fallujah	Counterinsurgency: Seizure of weapons caches including 204 RPGs. Was a coalition strike at insurgent training camps in the Rawah area.

Operation Devil Siphon	23 December 2003	23 December 2003	Ar Ramadi	Law enforcement: Was aimed at curtailing the growing black market of fuel and propane and restoring Iraq's fuel infrastructure. Like Operation Rifles Fury, this operation was a coalition strike aimed at ending Black Market fuel and propane operations run by insurgent marketeers.

Operation Overcoat	23 December 2003	23 December 2003	Mosul	Humanitarian: Delivered more than 500 pounds of coats, clothes, shoes, and toys

Operation Salm	23 December 2003	23 December 2003	Fallujah	Operation Salm was designed to give a higher profile to coalition forces in Fallujah and more exposure to residents. The second objective was to paralyze anti-coalition forces by flooding the streets with soldiers and checkpoints.

Operation Santa Strike	23 December 2003	23 December 2003	Mosul	Humanitarian: Delivered more than 500 pounds of coats, clothes, shoes, and toys

Operation Iron Force	24 December 2003	2003	Baghdad	Counterinsurgency: The objective was to capture or eliminate any rebel forces seeking to capitalize on the holiday season to attack coalition forces

Operation Iron Grip	24 December 2003	31 December 2003, at least	Baghdad	Counterinsurgency: Was designed to intensify the pressure on Saddam loyalists

Operation Choke Hold	30 December 2003	30 December 2003	Baghdad	Counterinsurgency: To stop the influx of bomb making materials into the city

Sentence(s)

Operation Bulldog Mammoth was Preceded by Operation Bayonet Lightning, followed by Operation Clear Area.

final_sentence: Operation Bulldog Mammoth was Preceded by Operation Bayonet Lightning, followed by Operation Clear Area.