A staging area (otherwise staging point, staging base or staging post) is a location where organisms, people, vehicles, equipment or material are assembled before use. It may refer to:
Construction
Designated area where vehicles, supplies, and construction equipment are positioned for access and use to a construction site.
Ecology
Resting and feeding places of migratory birds are referred to as staging areas.
Entertainment
Places designated for setting up parades and other elaborate presentations.
Military
In military usage, a staging area is a place where troops or equipment in transit are assembled or processed.
The US Department of Defense uses these definitions:
(DOD) 2. Other movements-A general locality established for the concentration of troop units and transient personnel between movements over the lines of communications. Also called SA. See also airborne; marshalling; stage; staging.
Often and historically this military staging area has been termed a
point d'appui, which is often on high ground and sometimes coincident with a significant prehistoric monument, as in the case of Catto Long Barrow in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Unlike normal bases, the facilities of a staging area are temporary, mainly because for a certain time it will hold much more troops and materiel than would be reasonable in peacetime.
Militaries use staging areas to deploy military units, aircraft and warships and materiel ahead of an attack or invasion. In former times, this used to be generally the border area of one's own country, but in recent wars (Gulf War, Kosovo War, Iraq War) it may also be the border area of another unrelated country granting access.
Space exploration
Area where final assembly is done on space vehicles before they are moved out to their launch pad.
Data management
Intermediate storage area between the sources of information and the data warehouse (DW) or Data mart (DM). It is usually of temporary nature, and its contents can be erased after the DW/DM has been loaded successfully.
