Forward Operating Base Paliwoda

The base was named for Captain Eric Paliwoda, an Engineer Officer and West Point Graduate from Farmington, Connecticut serving with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, who was killed in an enemy mortar attack in Balad on 2 January 2004; it had formerly been called FOB Eagle.

OIF III saw 3rd U.S. Army Infantry Division elements (Task Force 5-7 Cavalry, consisting of Bulldog, Combat, Devil and Headhunter Troops), commanded by Lt. Col Jody Petery and under operational command of the 42nd Infantry Division, occupied the post.

Serving as the main counter battery and route security between samara and North Baghdad (Al Taji) some major actions that happened included The fall of 2005 coordinated insurgent bombing attack on the city of Balad that resulted in approximately 125 local civilian deaths including the District Police Chief, and 100 wounded, due to 3 VBIEDs detonated in coordination with a 60mm mortar attack as a major mosque was ending its service, overflowing the local medical treatment centers and causing massive casualty evacuations by both US and Iraqi forces.

The Warhorse Battalion was charged with monitoring and clearing the Jabauri Peninsula, a hot bed for terrorists fleeing from places like Syria, Iran, and Pakistan.

Early in 2009, Bravo and Charlie Troops, 3-4 CAV would leave the FOB and live on Joint Base Balad (JBB).

But at Paliwoda, persistent problems with the makeshift electrical system installed by an Iraqi contractor mean the water often is cold if it is running at all.

Once a day a convoy delivers food from the Kellogg, Brown and Root chow hall at Anaconda, unless the unit in control of the FOB has cooks attached to them.