This provided a vital and strategic insertion point in Helmand Province during the western intervention in the War in Afghanistan.

[16] The first runway capable of handling C-17s direct from the United Kingdom opened in Camp Bastion on 3 December 2007.

[16] Camp Bastion airfield and heliport handled up to 600 fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft movements every day in 2011, operating combat, medical and logistics flights.

In December 2015, it was announced that a small contingency of British troops would return to Camp Shorabak in an advisory role, due to the Taliban overrun of Sangin district in Helmand province.

[24] The base was initially home to the Afghan National Army and during Operation Herrick 7 2nd Battalion, the Yorkshire Regiment's Battlegroup HQ.

The UK had a large number of major units based here: A number of smaller units were also deployed here including: The base was protected by the Bastion Force Protection Wing as part of the multi-national Task Force Belleau Wood.

It consisted of: Marine Wing Suppprt Squadron-371(February 2009-October) laid aluminum matting in Camp Bastion and throughout Helmand Province.

Base security had been reduced in the weeks leading up to the attack, and the Taliban unit was able to damage or destroy eight USMC AV-8B Harrier II jets before all were killed or captured.

[43][44] While the base was run by the United Kingdom, Camp Bastion was used by a number of other countries including Denmark (until 20 May 2014), Estonia (until 9 May 2014) and Tonga (until 28 April 2014).

Camp Bastion's Hospital was built by 170 Engineer Group[29] and was operated by regular and reserve personnel of the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force of the Joint Force Medical Group,[35] as well as medical assets from the US Army.

The hospital was the location to which wounded military personnel from the British, US and other ISAF forces in Helmand Province were evacuated from the battlefield for treatment, supported by US Army, Navy, and Air Force medics, or from which they were further evacuated to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Afghan civilians were also treated at the hospital for injuries sustained in war including victims of improvised explosive device attacks.

[51] Philip Hammond, the then defence secretary, confirmed that the UK was holding "80 or 90 Afghan detainees" at the base.

[53] According to an American military spokesman, U.S. Marine advisers (who suffered no casualties) helped Afghan troops repel the attack.