FOB Ripley (aka FOB Davis)
Introduction
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ripley was a coalition base in Oruzgan Province close to Tarin Kowt airport, some 20 km south of the town of Tarin Kowt. It is now known as FOB Davis, and is a key base in Oruzgan for the Reconstruction Task Force and other ADF elements.
Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ripley – [Google Earth*]
*Google Earth (free download) required.
Government sources
22d MEU (SOC) Hercules Flex Their Muscle In South-Central Afghanistan, Marine Corps News, 17 May 2004, GlobalSecurity.org
Establishment of FOB Ripley and its use by Marine KC-130 aircraft in 2004.
Marines deliver in Mountain Storm, Colonel Kenneth F. McKenzie, Major Roberta L. Shea, and Major Christopher Phelps, U.S. Marine Corps, the Naval Institute Proceedings, November 2004
“Establishment of the FOB was critical to the MEU’s concept of sustainment and combat power projection. Named after Marine Colonel John W. Ripley of Dong Ha fame, the base would feature a 6,000-foot runway, a complete helicopter fueling and rearming point, and 13 helicopter landing pads. The MEU command-and-control center was set up in the middle of the Oruzgan bowl. “
Analysis
Re: FOB Ripley, Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan Province, Afgh [Re: Uruzganweblogmaster], Google Earth Community, #787027 – 02/07/07 03:40 AM
“The image is edited and the base is gone! If you zoom out you still can see the outlines of the original image! Another example of censorship.”
FOB Davis
Forward Base Afghanistan, Reporter: Chris Masters, Four Corners, ABC Television, 7 July 2007
Infantry Operations in Southern Afghanistan, LTs Levon Lambert, Daniel Le Breton and Joshua Mickle – B Coy 7RAR, 7RAR (Mech) Blog, 18 February 2009
The addition of an infantry company provided by the newly re-raised 7RAR allowed the influence of RTF-1 to expand into key areas significant distances away from Forward Operating Base Davis. With a force package consisting of Bushmaster IMV and ASLAV vehicles, RTF-1 could rest assured that security of their proposed job sites was in very capable and heavily armed hands.
See also
Project coordinator: Richard Tanter
Updated: 17 June 2009