Camp Buehring
Camp Buehring (formerly Camp Udairi) is a staging post for US troops in the northwestern region of Kuwait. From its founding in January 2003 to the present date, the base was used for military troops heading north into Iraq and is the primary location for the Middle Eastern Theater Reserve. The areas surrounding Camp Buehring, known as the Udairi Range Complex, is largely uninhabited, except for a few nomadic Bedouin tribes raising camels, goats, and sheep. Camp New York is nearby, in the same Udairi Range Complex.
Camp Buehring Udairi Landing Zone | |||||||
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Kuwait | |||||||
Camp Buehring Shown within Kuwait | |||||||
Coordinates | 29°41′52″N 47°25′35″E | ||||||
Type | Staging post | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | U.S. Department of Defense | ||||||
Operator | United States Army (airfield) | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
Built | 2002 | ||||||
In use | January 2003 – present | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
Identifiers | ICAO: OKDI | ||||||
Elevation | 424 feet (129 m) AMSL | ||||||
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Sources: DoD FLIP[1] |
Camp Buehring is named after Lieutenant Colonel Charles H. Buehring who was killed in Baghdad on October 26, 2003. Buehring was among the highest-ranking U.S. casualties of the Iraq War. Camp Udairi was renamed in his honor in 2004.
History
Much of Camp Buehring had operated continuously since its establishment in 2003.
A vehicle-ramming attack on March 30, 2003, left sixteen people wounded after a disgruntled Egyptian electrician rammed a pick-up truck into a group of US soldiers. The perpetrator was shot twice and wounded seriously.[2]
During the spring of 2020, the worldwide coronavirus pandemic shuttered many of the morale, welfare, and recreation outlets on the post, as well as leading to the establishment of social distancing and mask usage guidelines. Quarantine procedures were mandatory for incoming personnel. The post had not experienced its own outbreak of the virus, though imported cases were recurring and infrequent.
Units
Aviation Brigades
- 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade 2008.[3]
- Unknown CAB until April 2015
- 185th Aviation Brigade (Theater) from April to December 2015
- 1st Battalion, 137th Aviation Regiment during October 2015.[4]
- 40th Combat Aviation Brigade[5] from December 2015 to August 2016
- 1st Battalion (General Support), 168th Aviation Regiment 'Hercules' with Boeing CH-47F Chinook's[6]
- Company B (Chinook)
- 77th Combat Aviation Brigade from August 2016 to April 2017
- 1st Battalion (General Support), 111th Aviation Regiment, 77th Combat Aviation Brigade during October 2016
- Company A (UH-60 & AH-64)
- 29th Combat Aviation Brigade from April to December 2017
- 449th Combat Aviation Brigade from December 2017.[7] until August 2018
- 1st Battalion (Assault), 244th Aviation Regiment (TF Voodoo) until August 2018.[8]
- 248th Aviation Support Battalion (TF Viper)[9]
- 35th Combat Aviation Brigade between August 2018 and April 2019.[10][11]
- 1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter), 108th Aviation Regiment (TF Falon) until April 2019.[12][8]
- 935th Aviation Support Battalion
- 38th Combat Aviation Brigade from April 2019
- 8th Battalion, 229th Aviation Regiment from April 2019.[12]
- 34th Combat Aviation Brigade from 2019 to September 2020
- 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade (TF Anvil) from September 2020 until May 2021[13]
- 40th Combat Aviation Brigade (TF Phoenix) from May 2021 until January 2022[14][15]
- 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion (TF Raptor)
- 640th Aviation Support Battalion
- 1-82nd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (TF Wolfpack) (- October 2021)
- 1-227th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (TF Attack) (October 2021 - )
- Task Force Toro from the Spanish Armed Forces
- Task Force Griffon from the Italian Army
- 11th Combat Aviation Brigade (TF Eagle) from January 2022[16] until August 2022.[17]
- 36th Combat Aviation Brigade (TF Mustang) between August 2022 and Present.[17]
- 449th Aviation Support Battalion (ASB)
- 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB) (TF Rough Riders)
- 3-142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion (AHB), New York Army National Guard
- 1-101st Attack Aviation Battalion (Task Force No Mercy) of the 101st Airborne Division
- Task Force Toro from the Spanish Armed Forces
- Task Force Griffon from 5th Army Aviation Regiment "Rigel", Italian Army
Aviation Battalions
- 2515th Naval Air Ambulance Detachment from HSC-21 and HSC-23 during 2007.[18]
- 1st Battalion (Attack Reconnaissance), 1st Aviation Regiment
- 2nd Battalion (General Support), 1st Aviation Regiment
Ground forces
- 4th BCT February–March 2004
References
- DoD Flight Information Publication (Enroute) - Supplement Europe, North Africa and Middle East. St. Louis, Missouri: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2021.
- Truck rams US soldiers in Kuwait, 15 injured, ABC (March 30, 2003)
- "Mural Paintings at Camp Buehring [Image 6 of 6]". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "Air med, always ready". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "640th ASB makes historic Gray Eagle repairs". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2016. p. 56.
- "Army National Guard leaders visit 449th CAB Soldiers". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "TF Voodoo transfers authority to TF Talon". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "The 248th ASB transfers authority to 935th ASB". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "Army National Guardsmen transfer responsibility of the OIR/OSS aviation support mission". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "The 35th Combat Aviation Brigade Lands In The Middle East". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "Kansas National Guard Assault Helicopter Battalion completes Middle East missions". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "Task Force Phoenix passes halfway point on 9-month Middle East mission". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "Mission complete. Task Force Phoenix heads home after 9-month mission in the Middle East". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "82nd CAB Soldiers provide phased maintenance support in Kuwait". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "US Soldiers conduct joint hot load training at Camp Buehring". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- "Task Force Mustang relieves Task Force Eagle, returns to Middle East". DVIDS. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "2515th Naval Air Ambulance Detachment takes on medical missions". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
External links
Media related to Camp Buehring at Wikimedia Commons