base of operations

An area or facility from which a military force begins its offensive operations, to which it falls back in case of reverse, and in which supply facilities are organized.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

base of operations - installation from which a military force initiates operations; "the attack wiped out our forward bases" base air base, air station - a base for military aircraft army base - a large base of operations for an army firebase - an artillery base to support advancing troops military installation - any facility servicing military forces navy base - base of operations for a naval fleet rocket base - a military base for rocket missiles armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"