This article is dedicated to the history of military build-up in Iraq and employment of the Iraqi armed forces during the reign of Baath party and Saddam Husain. The paper discloses the complex system of political, economic and social causes for transformation of Iraq into the pretender for the military-political hegemony in the Gulf Region. It reveals the process of military build-up in Iraq, i.e. system of civic and military undertakings, such as creating armed forces infrastructure and inventory, increasing manpower, ideological indoctrination of the masses. Article shows the Iraq particular expertise in the military build-up and briefly underlines Iran-Iraq war experience.