Iraq Marks Anniversary of the Founding of the Iraqi Army

Reuters

Iraqi army soldiers.

Every year on 6 January, Iraq commemorates the anniversary of the founding of the Iraqi Army, which was established alongside the modern Iraqi state in 1921. The occasion marks a pivotal moment in the country’s national history and honours the institution that has played a central role in shaping Iraq’s political and military landscape.

The idea of forming a national army emerged when a group of Kurdish and Arab officers convened under the leadership of General Jaafar Pasha al-Askari, a Kurdish officer from Kirkuk. Through their collective efforts, the foundations of the Iraqi Army were laid by an initial group of 14 officers, eight of whom were Kurdish. These included General Jaafar Mustafa al-Askari, head of the founding committee; Colonel Hamid Ahmed; Major Saeed Muhammad; Major Bakr Sidqi al-Askari; Major Tawfiq Wahbi Bey, Commandant of the Military College; Major Abdul-Razzaq Hilmi; Captain Hassan Hussein al-Askari; and Captain Muhammad Amin Zaki Bey.

The first units of the Iraqi armed forces were formed during the period of the British Mandate. At the same time, the Ministry of Defence was established under the leadership of General Jaafar al-Askari, beginning the process of building military divisions largely through volunteer enlistment. The first such unit was the Imam Musa al-Kadhim Regiment.

The headquarters of the Iraqi Armed Forces Command was established in Baghdad, while the 1st Infantry Division was formed in Diwaniyah, followed by the 2nd Infantry Division in Kirkuk. The development of the armed forces continued with the establishment of the Iraqi Air Force in 1931 and the Iraqi Navy in 1937.

The Iraqi Army fought its first modern conflict in 1941 against British Mandate authorities. In the decades that followed, it was involved in several wars and military coups. The army reached its peak strength at the end of the Iran–Iraq War, numbering approximately one million personnel, and by 1990 it ranked fourth in the world in terms of size.

Today, the Iraqi Armed Forces consist of five main branches: the Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Army Aviation, and Air Defence Forces. These branches operate under the authority of the Ministry of Defence, led by the Minister of Defence. The Counter-Terrorism Service and the Popular Mobilisation Forces, however, fall under the authority of the Prime Minister in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The President of the Republic serves as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces in a ceremonial and honorary role.

Iraq’s military tradition extends deep into history. The first regular armies in the region corresponding to modern-day Iraq appeared as early as the 9th century BC, during the Assyrian era. Over successive centuries, military forces reflected the rise and fall of civilisations, from the Akkadian and Babylonian periods through the Islamic era and into the modern state.

Following the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the country’s civilian administrator, Paul Bremer, issued an order dissolving the Iraqi Army. It was later reconstituted and rearmed. According to the 2016 Global Firepower Index, the Iraqi Army ranked 59th globally in terms of military strength.

Military service in Iraq has also evolved over time. During the Kingdom of Iraq and until the 1963 coup, service was voluntary. After the coup, conscription was introduced, though the voluntary system was later reinstated following the liberation of Iraq.

The Iraqi Army’s sources of weaponry are diverse, with the United States, Russia and China among its principal arms suppliers. Iraq previously manufactured certain military equipment domestically, a process that halted after 2003 before resuming with the reopening of the Industrialisation Authority in 2016.

As Iraq marks the anniversary of its army’s founding, the occasion serves as a reminder of the institution’s long and complex history, as well as its continuing role in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and stability.




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