To facilitate the push of ground forces into Iraq and satisfy their massive resupply needs, the U.S. Marine Corps has built an impromptu airfield near the border with Iraq as a temporary base for KC-130 transports and a dozen or more attack and support helicopters.

The airfield, near Iraq, has two 6,000-ft. parallel runways which became operational earlier this month. The site is located in a major staging area for U.S. and British ground forces. The facility, named Foss Field, is slated to permanently accommodate at least four KC-130s and CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters. Moreover, it will serve as a forward refueling point for AH-1Ws before crossing the border into Iraq, according to Marine Corps representatives. The base provides more than 320,000 gal. of fuel.

Construction of the expeditionary base was prompted in part by limited ramp space at major air bases near Iraq where large numbers of attack and reconnaissance aircraft are located.

There are tentative plans to build similar facilities in Iraq once ground forces move into the country to avoid having to use Iraqi facilities that would likely be bombed and heavily damaged, said one KC-130 pilot. The KC-130 missions would serve mainly transport purposes, not aerial refueling, which is the aircraft's primary mission.

Building the airfield took about 10 days, but if the process were repeated, it would probably take only 3-4 days to have at least one runway functioning, according to Chief Warrant Officer Tom Hartman, a Marine engineering equipment officer who oversaw the construction of Foss Field. Building the facility "was great training" because the skill hasn't been used much by the Marines, said the KC-130 pilot. Marine Corps media regulations restrict the identification of flight crew.