USMC convoys staging prior to going north into Iraq in March of 2004
A staging area is a temporary location where military units, aircraft and warships plus their matériel are assembled ahead of an attack or invasion. In former times this used to be generally the border area of ones own country, but in recent wars (Gulf War, Kosovo, Iraq War) it may also be the border area of another unrelated country granting access.
It is also the area designated for setting up parades and other elaborate presentations.
It is also the area where final assembly is done on space vehicles before they are moved out to their launch pad.
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staging_area under GFDL
