Strong, Matthew, SSgt

Operational/Tactical Communications/Data

Service Photo

Service Details

Current Service Status
USMC Retired

Current/Last Rank
Staff Sergeant

Current/Last Primary MOS
0681-Information Security Technician

Current/Last MOSGroup
Operational/Tactical Communications/Data

Previously Held MOS
2818-Personal Computer/Tactical Office Machine Repairer
2847-Telephone Systems/PC Intermediate Repairer

Primary Unit
2007-2011, 0681, H&S Co, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Bn (3 LAR Bn)

Service Years
1998 - 2011

Official/Unofficial USMC Certificates

Marine Combat Water Survival 1st Class (CWS-1)

Meritorious Mast

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Official Badges

Unofficial Badges

Military Associations and Other Affiliations

Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)


	1999, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)
	2001, National Rifle Association (NRA)
	2006, 1st Recon Bn Association
	2009, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Dept of California (Member at Large) (Sacramento, California)
	2011, Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
	2011, Wounded Warrior Project2
	2013, Korea Defense Veterans Association
	2014, 1st Marine Division Association, Southern California Chapter (Oceanside Ca., California)

Camp Ridgeway Al Taqaddum, Iraq (FOB)
From Month/Year March / 2003	To Month/Year July / 2009
Description The airbase was originally built by the RAF in 1952 as the subsidiary PLATEAU AIRFIELD of nearby RAF Habbaniya, whose runway was inadequate for the larger long range and jet aircraft being introduced. The original RAF runway was subsequently extended by the Iraqis and a parallel runway added. Some of the RAF buildings (Nissen huts) were still standing in 2003. The Iraqi airbase was long-time abandoned when U.S. forces occupied it in March 2003. The U.S. Army started to refer to the base as Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ridgway. The first U.S. Battalion to occupy the base was the 142nd Corps Support Battalion. The primary mission of the 142nd was to provide logistical support to nearby non-divisional Army units. However, a consequential mission of the 800 soldier battalion was to guard the local Iraqi ammunition storage area that at one time supplied the ammunition requirements of the defunct Iraqi airbase. Aviation elements of the 3rd ACR occupied the airfield from April 2003 until replaced by 82nd Airborne Division in July 2003. In 2004, the base name was changed to Camp Taqaddum to keep a more Iraqi face on the local military mission. On August 22, 2004, a group of Marines dedicated the airfield at Al Taqaddum to Lt. Col. David S. Greene, a reserve Marine AH-1W Super Cobra pilot with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775 who was killed in action earlier in the year. "TQ" is a major hub of men and matériel moving into Anbar province by coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom. According to the Gulf War Air Power Survey, there were 24 Hardened Aircraft Shelters at Al Taqaddum. At each end of the main runway are hardened aircraft shelters knowns as a HAS (pronounced Haas), "trapezoids" or "Yugos" which were built by Yugoslavian contractors some time prior to 1985. Various units of the U.S. Army found numerous MIG-21, MiG 25 and Su 25 Iraqi Air Force fighter jets partially buried in the area, presumably from the time of the Gulf War. By January 2004, almost all of the dozens of aircraft had been removed by the local citizens and burned, evedently, for scrap metal. There are three "sides" to Al Taqaddum, "Lake Side", "Main Side", and "Spring Lake". These sides denote particular areas. Each area has its own chow hall and phone center. The PX and main military support services are located on "Main Side". "Lake Side" hosts the air terminal and the primary supply depot. "Spring Lake" hosts other logistics units. TQ is adjacent to Lake Habbaniyah. This lake varies in colors, blue some days, to a greenish tint on others. The base is built on a desolate plateau overlooking the Euphrates River to the north and Lake Habbaniyah to the south. A drainage canal from Lake Habbaniyah flows between it and the base at Habbaniyah. In late 2009 Al Taqaddum was turned back over to the Iraqi Military.

My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year January / 2009	To Month/Year July / 2009

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020

Personal Memories

My Photos From This Battle or Operation

No Available Photos

169 Also There at This Battle:

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Abplanalp, Braydon, Cpl, (2006-2009)

Allen, Michael, LtCol, (1998-Present)

Ammons, Natalie, SSgt, (2001-Present)

Anderson, David, Cpl, (2006-Present)

Arnold, Dean, CWO4, (1987-Present)

Atherholt, Wayne, CWO3, (1986-2012)

Avila, Julio, GySgt, (2003-Present)

Avila, Michael, SSgt, (1993-Present)

Badell, Gail, GySgt, (1996-Present)

Bailey, Tim, Sgt, (1999-2009)

Balaga, Joshua, Cpl, (2006-Present)

Barden, Charles, MSgt, (1988-2012)

Barr, Anthony, MGySgt, (2000-Present)

Baumer, Brett, GySgt, (1995-2017)

Belec, Daniel, SSgt, (1993-2007)

Belton, Patrick, Sgt, (2001-2011)

Bennett, Joseph, Cpl, (2006-2009)

Best, Ryan, MSgt, (1991-2013)

Bowen, David, Cpl, (2005-2010)

Breland, James, 1stSgt, (1993-2015)

Brewer, Brian, CWO2, (2002-Present)

Brown, James C., LCpl, (1991-1995)

Brungard, Jeffrey, CWO5, (1984-2012)

Burgess, Keith, Maj, (1991-2009)

Cahill, Patrick, Sgt, (2005-Present)

Callanan, Mark, Sgt, (2006-2013)

Case, Matthew (Matt), Sgt, (2007-Present)

Casiano, Jesus, Sgt, (2007-2012)

Castleberry, Terry, MGySgt, (1982-2012)

Clark, Errin, Sgt, (2004-Present)

Collins, Kevin, MSgt, (1992-Present)

Conger, Aaron, MSgt, (1998-Present)

Criger, Brian, SSgt, (2000-Present)

Cross, Brandon, LCpl, (2008-Present)

Cummings, Richard, Sgt, (2006-2011)

CURETON, JAMES, Cpl, (2006-2010)

Czerniuk, Voloya, SSgt, (2000-2008)

Depaola, Salvatore, Capt, (2004-Present)

Dolata, Joshua, GySgt, (2004-Present)

Domen, Rob, CWO5, (1990-2023)

Donaldson, Antoinette, Sgt, (2006-2013)

Dumphy, Steven, CWO2, (1997-Present)

Durst, Jon, LCpl, (2006-2011)

Ede, Jon, Sgt, (2003-Present)

Edwards, Daniel, MSgt, (1990-2012)

Edwards, Dusty, Maj, (1993-Present)

Fahy, Robert, GySgt, (1997-2009)

Febo, Edwin, LCpl, (2008-2009)

Feil, Brian, GySgt, (1993-2010)

Ferguson, Wesley, MSgt, (1985-2010)

Flowers, William, Sgt, (2006-2014)

Forgas, John, Sgt, (2006-2010)

Franke, Eric, SSgt, (2005-2014)

Frederick, Patrick, SSgt, (1994-Present)

Fuchs, Joseph, SSgt, (2000-Present)

Gagliano, Peter, Sgt, (2006-2014)

Gaines, Charles, SSgt, (2000-Present)

Garcia, Jonatan, SSgt, (2004-Present)

Garcia, Stephan, Cpl, (2007-2011)

Gates, Levi, GySgt, (2005-Present)

GAY, MATTHEW, Sgt, (2004-Present)

Gdowski, Darrin, GySgt, (1989-2011)

George, Aaron, LCpl, (2006-2009)

Gilling-Strickland, Ernesto, MSgt, (1992-2016)

GIVEN, CATELIN, SSgt, (1999-2012)

Gonzalez, Luis, Sgt, (2006-Present)

Gross, Jason, GySgt, (1997-Present)

Gumulauski, John, Cpl, (2006-2009)

Henson, John, SSgt, (1991-2011)

Herbst, Joey, MGySgt, (1996-Present)

Herman, Patrick, Sgt, (2000-Present)

Hinton, Sean, Sgt, (2007-Present)

Hoffart, Jim, MGySgt, (1987-2015)

Hoffer, Christopher, Sgt, (2005-Present)

Hoosier, Norman, MGySgt, (1982-Present)

Hsu, Jeffrey, SSgt, (2004-Present)

Hurt, Jeffrey, Sgt, (2006-Present)

Ireton, Brandon, Sgt, (2005-Present)

Irons, Martin, SSgt, (1992-Present)

Janer, Jessica, Cpl, (2006-Present)

Janko, Kory, Cpl, (2006-2014)

Johnson, Bradley, SSgt, (1996-Present)

Joubert, Arthur, GySgt, (1991-Present)

Kenney, Christopher, MSgt, (1984-2009)

Keyes, Marcus, SSgt, (2007-Present)

King, Jonathan, GySgt, (2000-2022)

Klink, Todd, CWO3, (1991-Present)

Kreider, Nicholas, Sgt, (2005-2010)

Kroh, Andrew, Cpl, (2003-2012)

Lane, Robert, SSgt, (2003-2009)

Lankton, David, Cpl, (2005-2009)

Lash, Adam, GySgt, (2004-Present)

Laudun II, Andrew, Sgt, (2005-2009)

Lawrence, Lloyd, Cpl, (2007-2009)

Lemons, Jeremy, Cpl, (2005-2009)

Lopez, Jason, SSgt, (2003-Present)

Louramore, Craig, MSgt, (1986-2010)

Lybrand, Mary, Sgt, (1996-Present)

Marshall, Deanna, Sgt, (2002-2009)

Martin, Antoni, SSgt, (2007-Present)