Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) was established in May 2004 to replace Combined Joint Task Force 7, which itself had been created to take the place of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command in June 2003. The MNF-I was given the difficult task of not only engaging and destroying insurgency forces that threatened to disrupt the transition of Iraq from a dictatorship to a democratic nation, but also of helping rebuild shattered infrastructure and helping ensure the delivery of essential services by forging relationships with various factions vying for power.
Originally commanded by Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the MNF-I was subsequently led by three four-star Generals—George Casey, David Petraeus, and Raymond Odierno—before it was replaced by the United States Forces—Iraq in January 2010.
The seven-pointed star on the Army’s Multi-National Force-Iraq Combat Service Identification Badge (CSIB) represents the seven peoples of Iraq—Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Assyrian, Turkoman, Armenian, and Yazidi—and their ultimate unity in providing a secure and prosperous Iraq for all the country’s citizens. Two crossed scimitars reflect the partnering work performed by the MNF-I and Iraqi Security Forces to ensure a democratic government could survive a tumultuous transition period, while the palms symbolize peace. The human-headed, winged bull is a lamassu, a deity from Mesopotamian culture that provided protection for the inhabitants of cities where their statues were erected.