Cpl. David Bertram, Company F, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, hangs his head while paying his last respects to his fellow comrades that have fallen during their deployment to Iraq in a memorial service Tuesday at Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field. Nelson and Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka were killed after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Photo Date Taken: 8/19/2008. Photo ByLine: Lance Cpl. Monica C. Erickson.

Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Ahlborn, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, kneels in front of the Soldier’s Crosses that represent Cpl. Richard Nelson and Lance Cpl. Dean Opicka, who were killed in action during their deployment to Iraq in a memorial service Tuesday at Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field. Nelson and Opicka were killed in action April 14 after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. As the ceremony came to a close, the Marines and sailors were given the opportunity to approach the Soldier’s Crosses and pay their last respects to Nelson and Opicka. ByLine - Lance Cpl. Monica C. Erickson.

SHEEP SHOOING - U.S. Army Spc. Anthony Astorga shoos away sheep while maintaining security during a patrol through Jameela Market in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 14, 2008. Astorga is assigned to Company R, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young.

FRUIT LOOT - U.S. Army Sgt. Alyson Brown displays a platter of food provided to U.S. soldiers at the end of government-led meetings in Wajihiyah, Iraq, Aug. 16, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to Battery A, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mario A. Quiroga.

GETTING THE 411 - U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robin Swan, front, receives a briefing from Lt. Col. Matt Elledge, center left, and Lt. Col. Paul Hossenlopp, center, in the Jihad neighborhood. Swan was visiting the Jihad civil service department in the southwest Baghdad District of West Rashid, Aug. 2, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Steve Stover.

TOURING ADHAMIYAH - U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Dailey speaks to his interpreter while touring Adhamiyah's fish market in northern Baghdad, Aug. 5, 2008. Dailey is assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Zachary Mott.

SADR CITY STAIRWAY - U.S. Army Military Police assess the potential renovation of a vocational school in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 10, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young.

SCHOOL VISIT - U.S. Army soldiers visit children in a classroom at Alethar Elementary School, in Amariyah, Iraq, Aug. 12, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 4th Infantry Division's Troop C, 10th Cavalry. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez.

U.S. Army Pfc. Mark Vero and Iraqi army soldiers search farmhouses in southern Muehla during Operation Dodge City II, Aug. 4, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Turner.

U.S. and Iraqi soldiers search fields and canals in southern Muehla during Operation Dodge City II, Aug. 4, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Turner.

Iraqi children gather around as U.S. Army Pfc. Shane Bordonado patrols the streets of Al Asiriyah, Iraq, on Aug. 4, 2008. Bordonado is assigned to 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division.   DoD photo by Spc. Daniel Herrera, U.S. Army. (Released)

IRON WILL - U.S. and Iraqi soldiers move out on patrol to search for weapons during Operation Iron Pursuit near Diyala province, Iraq, July 28, 2008. The U.S. soldiers are assigned to 1st Armored Division's 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Eric C. Hein.

GOING MY WAY? - A donkey stands in front of a Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicle near a rapid refueling point in the Jazirah Desert of Iraq, July 25, 2008. The Marines are assigned to the Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 and are securing the area as a part of Operation Defeat Al Qaeda in the North. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew C. Fellows.

FAMILY PICTURES - A U.S. soldier shows a group of Iraqi girls pictures of his daughters after the monthly security meeting with the mayor in Jadellah Sofia, Iraq, Aug. 4, 2008. The soldier is assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Sarah De Boise.

TAHWILLA ROAD - U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Kear makes his way down the road as a canal burns in Tahwilla, Iraq, July 30, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Armored Division's Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. David J. Marshall.

A U.S. Army soldier provides security while an interpreter directs Iraqi army soldiers to search a field in southern Muehla during Operation Dodge City II, Aug. 4, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Turner.

Iraqi soldiers provide security as U.S. soldiers begin a search for weapons caches in a canal near Jazirah, Iraq, July 29, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Armored Division's 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. David J. Marshall.

U.S. Army Spc. Torey Neden uses a magnetic locater to search for evidence of extremist activity in Bezel, Iraq, July 30, 2008. He is assigned to the 1st Armored Division's 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. David J. Marshall.

PETRAEUS TOURS - U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commanding general, Multinational Force Iraq, speaks with an Iraqi Army general while touring the market in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, Aug 2, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to weapons squad, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, pose for a photo before patrolling Rusafa, Baghdad, Iraq. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Bailey.

A Marine with the Jump Platoon of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, scans the opposite bank of the Euphrates River as his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Steven J. Grass, speaks with locals during a route reconnaissance patrol July 23. The battalion commander listens to locals voice their various concerns and problems and asks how they feel about the Marines presence. Photo ByLine: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray

Cpl. Timothy Goodman, a rifleman with the Jump Platoon, Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, inspects a package while providing security on Market Street in Husaybah, Iraq, July 23. Goodman inspects any suspicious packages before citizens can pass near Husaybah's City Hall, while a meeting is underway. Photo ByLine: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray.

Marines with the Jump Platoon of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, conduct route reconnaissance patrols along the Euphrates River after a city council meeting in Husaybah, Iraq, July 23. They discovered a section of the road that had eroded into the river so they made their way around the gap through a grassy field. Photo ByLine: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray

Sgt. Louis Pearson, a field radio operator with the Jump Platoon of Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Regimental Combat Team 5, explores an abandoned building on Market Street in Husaybah, Iraq, July 23. When the platoon is not busy providing escorts for the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Steven J. Grass, they conduct various auxiliary missions, such as route reconnaissance, smuggler searches and contraband checks. Photo ByLine: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray.

PFC. SKYLER ROSEENBERRY AND SGT. MICHAEL BEARDEN WALK ON A STREET CROWDED WITH PILGRIMS. -  U.S. Army Pfc. Skyler Roseenberry and Sgt. Michael Bearden walk on a street crowded with pilgrims during the Shiite Muslim ceremony commemorating the death of Mousa Al-Kadhim, the 7th Imam, in Kazimiyah, Iraq, on July 29, 2008. Each year devout Shiites gather at a mosque believed to sit on top of the grave site of the Imam. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

BURN OUT - U.S. Army Sgt. William Reese watches flames rise into the night sky after setting canal vegetation ablaze in Tahwilla, Iraq, July 30, 2008. Extremists have been using the canal's thick vegetation to plant bombs under the cover of darkness. The soldiers are assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. David J. Marshall.

Leaders from the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds," 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, meet with regional sheiks of the northwest Taji sheik council, Taji Qada government officials and leaders of the 4th Mechanized Battalion, 36th Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, in the Taji Qada, located northwest of Baghdad, July 26, 2008. Photo by Pfc. John Ahn, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division.

Tactically questioning a local Iraq shepherd, Lance Cpl. T.J. McCabe (furthest left), 27, an intelligence representative from Stafford, Va., with Company Level Intelligence Cell, Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd LAR Bn., Regimental Combat Team 5, and other Marines with the company ensure all is well in the area during a presence patrol though western Anbar province, Iraq, July 29. Since the CLIC was established December 2007 during the unitâ??s mobilization, the Marines have apprehended several key drug and oil smugglers suspected of funding the insurgency. The members believe they have made an immense difference in the effectiveness of company level intelligence and are proud to be part of one of the few elements currently in operation. Photo ByLine: Cpl. Ryan Tomlinson.

SPC. NICHOLAS TRIPP LOOKS AT THE REMAINS OF THE WISTANI GATE. -  U.S. Army Spc. Nicholas Tripp, from Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, looks at the remains of the Wistani Gate, one of the remaining four gates leading into the al-Rahseed district of Baghdad, Iraq, on July 27, 2008. The soldiers are there to ensure the site has not been tampered with by vandals. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt, U.S. Army. (Released)

STREET TALK - A U.S. soldier speaks to an Iraqi man during a humanitarian aid mission in a village in the Jazeera desert in Iraq, July 26, 2008. The soldier is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. U.S. and Iraqi soldiers distributed toys, clothing and medical supplies during the mission. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Micky M. Bazaldua.

CAPT. DAMIEN BARRINEAU EXAMINES A CHILD. -  U.S. Army Capt. Damien Barrineau examines a child during a medical operation in Sayid Ghrib, Iraq, on July 27, 2008. Barrineau is assigned to 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Micky M. Bazaldua, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

MID-AIR MANEUVER - U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Silvers leaps down from a pipe to talk with some Iraqi army soldiers guarding a checkpoint in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, July 21, 2008. Silvers is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Richard Del Vecchio.

BAGHDAD BACKDROP - A U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter flies over eastern Baghdad as the command staff of the 10th Mountain Division conducts an aerial reconnaissance of major joint security stations and combat outposts, Baghdad, Iraq, July 25, 2008. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt.

A U.S. MARINE WALKS THROUGH THE HATRA RUINS IN THE JAZEERAH DESERT. -  A U.S. Marine with a ground combat element assigned to Delta Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Task Force Mechanized, Multi-National Force - West walks through the Hatra Ruins in the Jazeerah Desert in Iraq on July 20, 2008. The task force is conducting disruption operations in the area to deny the enemy sanctuary and prevent foreign fighters from accessing the area. DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Albert F. Hunt, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)  

SADR CITY PROJECTS - Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff, right, discusses market revitalization projects in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood with Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, July 21, 2008. Talley is commander of the 926th Engineer Brigade, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Zachary Mott.

U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Fieser, left, stands by as Soldiers enter and search a house for illegal weapons in Saydiyeh, Baghdad, July 21, 2008. Fieser is assigned to the 4th Battalion, Company A, 64th Armory. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joan E. Kretschmer.

TWO-WHEEL PATROLLER - U.S. Army Sgt. Mark Speakman takes a bike for a ride during a patrol in the Shula district, Baghdad, Iraq, July 20, 2008. Speakman is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 75th Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

STREET WISE - U.S. Army Cpt. Michael Kolton stops to speak with a local man during a combined dismounted patrol with Iraqi police officers in the Ghazaliya district, Baghdad, Iraq, July 18, 2008. Kolton, a platoon leader, is assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's Bravo Troop, 75th Cavalry. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

A U.S. Marine from 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5 exits an aircraft during a static line combat jump over Al Asad, Iraq, on July 16, 2008.   DoD photo by Cpl. Tyler W. Hill, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

An Iraqi boy watches as U.S. Army Spc. Justin Officer passes by during a combined dismounted patrol with Iraq police in the Ghazaliya district of Baghdad, Iraq, on July, 17, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Platoon, Bravo Troop, 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.   DoD photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill, U.S. Army. (Released)

SHEIK'S ASSESSMENT - U.S. soldiers speak to a local sheik as they assess the conditions of a school under construction in the Al Awad region of Iraq, July 17, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Daniel Herrera.

BONDING ON BAGHDAD PATROL - U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ryan Chang and Iraqi Police Lt. Akil bond during a combined patrol in the Ghazaliya district of Baghdad, Iraq, July, 17, 2008. Chang is a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 75th Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Frank Lugo (left) assigned to 404th Civil Affairs Battalion and Sgt. Dajuan Turner (right), assigned to Task Force - Regular, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment share a joke while providing security for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Navy, during his visit to the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, on July 7, 2008.   DoD photo by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jonathan Conery, a civil affairs specialist from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, talks to local business owners about their concerns during a patrol outside Joint Security Station Oubaidy in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq on July 13, 2008.   DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt, U.S. Army. (Released)

CAMEL COMPANY - U.S. Marines in a Humvee provide security while camels walk by during Operation Bonneville Flats in the desert southwest of Lake Habbaniyah, Iraq, July 9, 2008. The Marines are assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jeremy M. Giacomino.

KIDDING AROUND - Iraqi children gather around U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Haggard for a group photo during Youth Outreach Day on Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq, July 12, 2008. The Provincial Reconstruction Team coordinated the event to increase understanding of coalition forces for children in the local community. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Micky M. Bazaldua.  

U.S. Marines with personnel security detail, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Ground Combat Element, Multi-National Force - West, make way for some animals while conducting Operation Defeat al-Qaida, July 7, 2008. Photo by Joint Combat Camera Center Iraq.

JAZEERAH DESERT - U.S. Marines aboard an M1A1 Abrams tank drive through the Jazeerah Desert in Iraq, July 4, 2008. The Marines presence disrupts enemy operations and prevents foreign fighters from entering the area. The Marines are assigned to a ground combat element with Alpha Company, 4th Tank Battalion, Task Force Mech, Multinational Force West. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jason W. Fudge.

HADITHA, Iraq (July 4, 2008) Sailors assigned to Riverine Squadron (RIVRON ) 3 take Marines assigned to the civil affairs group of 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment on a tour of Lake Quadsiyah near Haditha, Iraq. RIVRON-3 patrols the area waterways to help ensure safety and security in Al Anbar province. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Seth Maggard (Released)

NEXT OBJECTIVE - U.S. Army Sgt. Micah Smith walks with his fellow soldiers to the next objective during an air assault mission conducted by the 3rd Battalion, 187 Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, July 3, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Richard Del Vecchio.

U.S. Army soldiers from the 432nd Civil Affairs Battalion and the 926th Engineer Brigade Combat Team conduct assessments in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, on July 2, 2008. The soldiers, assigned to Task Force Gold in conjunction with Task Force Regulars, are conducting site assessments in support of revitalization projects in the area. DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young, U.S. Air Force.

MAHMUDIYAH ASSAULT - U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Kurt Shingledecker gets his bearings after leaving a helicopter while participating in an air assault mission conducted around the city of Mahmudiyah, Iraq, July 3, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Brigade,187 Infantry Regiment. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Richard Del Vecchio.

Marines with Detachment 3, Civil Affairs Group 3, Regimental Combat Team 1, check on progress of a school being rebuilt July 5 in the Abu Saleh area of Fallujah, Iraq. The building was on the verge of falling to pieces before the Marines and Administration of Education stepped in. Photo ByLine: Cpl. Chris T. Mann.

Five-year-old Ahmed and his father, Warrant Officer Othman Mallouki, an Iraqi policeman with Fallujah Headquarters District, get ready to leave the Joint Command Center after a visit with Marines from Company B, Police Transition Team 8, Regimental Combat Team 1, June 21. Marines with the team are working with the family to arrange transportation for Ahmed’s surgery in Jordan. (Official Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Chris T. Mann)

A Marine with Team Black Rhino, an Incident Response Team with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, Marine Wing Support Group 37, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), exits a room after searching through an abandoned Iraqi compound in the Jazirah Desert. Most of the team members are military police officers, while the rest are comprised of Marines from a variety of military occupational specialties. Photo ByLine: Lance Cpl. Michael Stevens.

FALLUJAH, Iraq (June 24, 2008) Cpl. Jasmine R. Sohns, a 26-year-old, from Kaneohe, Hawaii and a motor transport operator, Motor Transport Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, stands outside the female search area during a Cooperative Medical Engagement, June 24. Marines from CLB-1 searched females seeking aid during the CME. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Cindy G. Alejandrez)

FALLUJAH, Iraq (June 24, 2008) Dr. Suzan Karim, from Detroit, talks to a young boy's mother during a Cooperative Medical Engagement June 24. With the combined efforts of Marines, Soldiers, Airmen and civilian doctors, two CMEs provided medical care to more than 870 locals in Fallujah, June 24 and 25.

Soldiers assigned to Tango Battery, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, launch a practice rocket from a range on Asad Air Base in Iraq's Anbar province, June 28, 2008.   U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kelly R. Chase...

An Iraqi family speaks with U.S. Army soldiers who are patroling and searching homes in Shula, Iraq, June 19, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company.   U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez.

A Marine provides security for fellow Marines while they sweep palm groves for hidden weapons outside the city of Hit, March 9, 2008. Photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill, Joint Combat Camera Center.

A man maneuvers his loaded donkey cart down an alleyway between patrolling Soldiers and local Sons of Iraq conducting a dismounted patrol of marketplaces and neighborhoods outside Joint Security Station Bab al Sheikh in the al Rashid section of eastern Baghdad, May 28, 2008. U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Brian D. Lehnhardt.

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Frank Wood along with other Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, provide security during an Abna Al Iraq (Sons of Iraq) checkpoint establishment operation in the Rashid District of Baghdad, Iraq. Photo by Pfc. Michael Hendrickson.

COUGAR STORM - Two U.S. soldiers provide rear security for a patrol in support of Operation Cougar Storm in Mullaid and Naquib, Iraq, June 23, 2008. Cougar Storm was implemented to protect the population and reestablish Iraqi gornment and security forces in the area. The soldiers are assigned to 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul Seeber...

YARD SIDE TALK - U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Fred Hampton kneels on a knee to talk with a young Iraqi boy at the future site of a park in the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City district of Baghdad on June 20, 2008. Hampton is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Regulators. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young....

DIRECTING PASSENGERS - U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher S. Vanek directs passengers from two U.S Army UH-60 Blackhawks to walk in his direction on a field in Multaka, Iraq, June 19, 2008. Vanek is commander of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ave I. Pele-Sizelove...

WATER RELIEF - U.S. soldiers hand out water bottles to people who live in the landfill near Al Sabiat, a village northwest of Baghdad, June 15, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, Multinational Division Baghdad, U.S. Army photo by Capt. Ronnie Geronimo...

BAYJI MISSION - U.S. Army soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division conduct a cordon and search mission in Bayji, Iraq, June 17, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Micky M. Bazaldua...

PALADIN ILLUMINATION - U.S. Air Force Col. David Mansfield, 407th Air Expeditionary Group commander, fires an illumination round from a U.S. Army M-109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer on Ali Base, Iraq, in support of Iraqi police patrolling Nasiriyah, Iraq, June 20, 2008. The Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, gave Mansfield a system capability brief and the opportunity to fire the Paladin, under close supervision, so he can better inform Air Force persons. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Gallahan...

LUDIFIYAH ASSAULT - U.S. Army soldiers run after getting of a Blackhawk helicopter during an air assault mission in Ludifiyah, Iraq, June 14, 2008. The soldiers are assigned to the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Richard Del Vecchio...

CAUTIOUS APPROACH - U.S. Marine Sgt. Michael J. Beaver cautiously approaches a chicken coup during a mission in a village near the northern Anbar province in Iraw, June 13, 2008. Beaver is assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Regiment. U.S. Marine Corps photograph by Sgt. Jason W. Fudge...

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Daniel Leach radios fellow Marines during an operation in the Al Anbar province of Iraq on June 11, 2008. Leach is assigned to 2nd Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, a ground combat element attached to Task Force Mechanized, Multi National Force - West.   DoD photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

U.S. Army Sgt. Matt Radcliffe, a military policeman from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, gives a high five to a young Iraqi girl while Spc. Martin watches during a patrol through the Thawra 1 neighborhood of Sadr City, Iraq, on June 16, 2008.   DoD photo by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

U.S. Army Capt. Stephen Johnson shakes the paw of Sgt. 1st Class Freida, a specialized search dog, after a re-enlistment ceremony on Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, June 9, 2008. Johnson is commander of the 1st Armored Division's Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch...

An Iraqi child gives a “high fiveâ€‌ to a passing U.S. Soldier from the 101st Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, which finished a meeting with the town's tribal leaders in Ludifiyah, Iraq, June 12, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Richard Del Vecchio...

Engineering Aide Constructionman Aaron Santos assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17 takes some time to relax after a long days work on a large scale bridge building project located in Western Iraq, June 14, 2008. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Robinson, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17.

Soldiers of Headquarters, Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Indiana Army National Guard) prepare to moor the 17M Liberty Rapid Initial Aerial Deployment or â€کAerostat’ at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, June 14, 2008. Photo by Staff Sgt. James E. Brown, Jr., 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Spc. Dallas Sampey, a combat medic from Baton Rouge, La., scans the Tigris River for enemy activity June 3, 2008, in the Karkh neighborhood of Baghdad. Photo by Spc. David Hodge, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs.

U.S. Army Soldiers take a break and await further orders after a long day of conducting a reconnaissance mission in an abandoned warehouse area in the Thawra 1 neighborhood of the Sadr City district of Baghdad, June 5, 2008. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young.

A U.S. Army Soldier gets a lift from an Iraqi boy and his mule on Route Douglas in the Jamilla Market in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, June 9, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young...

U.S. Navy Sailors dismount from their Small Unit Riverine Crafts to patrol the shore north of Haditha Dam in Anbar, Iraq, June 5, 2008. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tyler Hill...

POOCH SMOOCH - A U.S. Army soldier and his military dog, Lucky, take a break during a cordon and search in Mosul, Iraq, June 8, 2008. The Military Working Dog team assisted with the cordon and search to find weapon caches and bomb paraphernalia. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Sarah De Boise...

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Mathew J. Daniels from 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Task Force Mechanized stands guard as fellow Marines conduct a meeting in the Salad Ad Din province of Iraq on May 20, 2008. Marines with the battalion are conducting missions to hunt down and rid the northern part of Iraq of insurgents.   DoD photo by Sgt. Rome M. Lazarus, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)

CIRCLING THE MRAP - A herd of cattle surrounds a U.S. Army Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle during Operation Fire Fortress in the Diyala province, Iraq, June 2, 2008. Operation Fire Fortress was launched to clear the influence of al Qaida in the towns of Qubbah and Mukhisa in Iraq's Diyala province. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul Seeber...

AL QA'IM JUMP  - U.S. Marines prepare to jump from a KC-130J into Al Qa'im, Iraq on May 28, 2008. The Marines are assigned to the 1st Marine Logistics Group, Combat Logistics Battalion-6, 3D Reconnaissance Battalion and CLB-6 and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352. They are conducing a logistical air delivery re-supply operation to deliver water and fuel to Al Qa'im, Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Gabriela Garcia...

TEA TIME - A U.S. soldier pauses for a cup of tea during a patrol break along route "Kansas" in the Jameela Market in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, May 31, 2008. The soldier are assigned to the 6th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young...

BALANCING ACT - A group of Iraqi children look on as a U.S. soldier practices balancing a plate of bread on his head in the Jameela market area of the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, May 31, 2008. The soldier is assigned to the 6th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team, which is attached to Task Force Regulars. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young...

U.S. Army Sgt. Vincent Ruiz talks with an Iraqi child outside a school where Iraqi men are signing up for a "Sons of Iraq" neighborhood watch program in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, May 30, 2008. Ruiz is assigned to the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young...

An Iraqi Army Soldier from 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Brigade, 8th Division, squats down and scans for enemy personnel while stopped in a field during a clearing operation in Ali Shaheen village, Iraq, March 7, 2008. Photo by Sgt. Timothy Kingston, Joint Combat Camera Center...

An Iraqi girl holds up the peace sign as Cpl. Paul Roderick talks to a group a Iraqi children while on a dismounted patrol through the Ayasha village, northwest of Baghdad, May 29, 2008. Photo by 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division...

A U.S. Army Soldier from 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, patrols the streets of a village, southeast of Salman Pak, Iraq, which is known to have recently been occupied by al-Qaida members, Feb. 15, 2008. Soldiers from Baker Company are working with local sheiks to improve security in the area. Photo by Sgt. Timothy Kingston, Joint Combat Camera Center.

Byline: Cpl. Erik Villagran - Marines with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 exit the Euphrates River drenched up to their waists May 25. Marines conducted cache sweeps on islands in the river near Haditha, Iraq. At every stop, Marines had to jump out of their boats into the water to get to an island. Date: 2008-05-24T19:31:00Z...

Byline: Cpl. Erik Villagran - Lance Cpl. Jordan R. Brand, 21, a machine gunner from Papillion, Neb., assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, provides security while Marines with Company L patrol the Euphrates River on boats May 25. Marines on the shore provided security for Marines conducting cache sweeps on islands in the river near Haditha, Iraq. Date: 2008-05-24T19:56:00Z...

Byline: Lance Cpl. Joshua Murray - Marines with 1st Platoon, Golf Company, Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, pass through an Iraqi police checkpoint at Camp Gannon, Iraq, May 26th. The Marines of Company G have established a very strong relationship with the IP in their area of operation during the first few weeks of their deployment. The Marines at Camp Gannon work with IP to help make a more secure environment for the people of Iraq. Date: 2008-05-27T15:24:00Z...

Byline: Cpl. Erik Villagran - Marines aboard boats land on an island on the Euphrates River near Haditha, Iraq, May 25. Marines with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 swept islands in the river for any enemy contraband. They also swept the riverbanks in search of weapons. It was the first time Marines in the company worked with sailors with Riverine Squadron 3, Detachment 3, RCT-5. Date: 2008-05-24T18:34:00Z...

U.S. Army Spc. Marcus Wright from Headquarters Troop, 3rd Special Troops Battalion, provides security during a patrol at Jamilla Market in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq, on May 15, 2008. Wright and his unit are deployed from Fort Carson, Colo.   DoD photo by Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young, U.S. Air Force. (Released)

AL INTISAR SHAKE - U.S. Army Lt. Donald Maloy, center, and an interpreter, speak with an Iraqi family during a cordon and search mission in Al Intisar, Iraq, May 28, 2008. The soldiers, assigned to Company D, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, spoke with local people about safety and gave contact numbers to call if they see anything suspicious. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Sarah De Boise...