Final U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq

[Thomas]

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After Seven Years, Final U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq
Published August 18, 2010
Associated Press
FOXNews.com - After Seven Years, Final U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq

KHABARI CROSSING, Kuwait -- As their convoy reached the barbed wire at the border crossing out of Iraq on Wednesday, the soldiers whooped and cheered. Then they scrambled out of their stifling hot armored vehicles, unfurled an American flag and posed for group photos.

For these troops of the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, it was a moment of relief fraught with symbolism. Seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion, the last American combat brigade was leaving Iraq, well ahead of President Barack Obama's Aug. 31 deadline for ending U.S. combat operations there.
------
EDITOR'S NOTE: The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division was officially designated the last combat brigade to leave Iraq under Obama's plan to end combat operations in Iraq by Aug. 31. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana joined the troops on their final journey out of the country.
------
When 18-year-old Spc. Luke Dill first rolled into Iraq as part of the U.S. invasion, his Humvee was so vulnerable to bombs that the troops lined its floor with flak jackets.

Now 25 and a staff sergeant after two tours of duty, he rode out of Iraq this week in a Stryker, an eight-wheeled behemoth encrusted with armor and add-ons to ward off grenades and other projectiles.

"It's something I'm going to be proud of for the rest of my life -- the fact that I came in on the initial push and now I'm leaving with the last of the combat units," he said.

He remembered three straight days of mortar attacks outside the city of Najaf in 2003, so noisy that after the firing ended, the silence kept him awake at nights. He recalled the night skies over the northern city of Mosul being lit up by tracer bullets from almost every direction.

Now, waiting for him back in Olympia, Wash., is the "Big Boy" Harley-Davidson he purchased from one of the motorcycle company's dealerships at U.S. bases in Iraq -- a vivid illustration of how embedded the American presence has become since the invasion of March 20, 2003.

That presence is far from over. Scatterings of combat troops still await departure, and some 50,000 will stay another year in what is designated as a noncombat role. They will carry weapons to defend themselves and accompany Iraqi troops on missions (but only if asked).

Special forces will continue to help Iraqis hunt for terrorists.

So the U.S. death toll -- at least 4,415 by Pentagon count as of Wednesday -- may not yet be final.

The Stryker brigade, named for the vehicle that delivers troops into and out of battle, has lost 34 troops in Iraq. It was at the forefront of many of the fiercest battles, including operations in eastern Baghdad and Diyala province, an epicenter of the insurgency, during "the surge" of 2007. It evacuated troops at the battle of Tarmiyah, an outpost where 28 out of 34 soldiers were wounded holding off insurgents.

Before the Aug. 31 deadline, about half the brigade's 4,000 soldiers flew out like most of the others leaving Iraq, but its leadership volunteered to have the remainder depart overland. That decision allowed the unit to keep 360 Strykers in the country for an extra three weeks.

U.S. commanders say it was the brigade's idea, not an order from on high. The intent was to keep additional firepower handy through the "period of angst" that followed Iraq's inconclusive March 7 election, said brigade chief, Col. John Norris.

It took months of preparation to move the troops and armor across more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) of desert highway through potentially hostile territory.

The Strykers left the Baghdad area in separate convoys over a four-day period, traveling at night because the U.S.-Iraq security pact -- and security worries -- limit troop movements by day.

Along the way, phalanxes of American military Humvees sat at overpasses, soldiers patrolled the highways for roadside bombs, and Apache attack helicopters circled overhead as the Strykers refueled alongside the highway.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gus McKinney, a brigade intelligence officer, acknowledged that moving the convoys overland put soldiers at risk, but said the danger was less than in past.

The biggest threat was roadside bombs planted by Shiite extremist groups who have a strong foothold in the south, McKinney said.

But except for camels straying into the road, and breakdowns that required some vehicles to be towed, there were no incidents.

The worst of the ride was conditions inside the Strykers -- sitting for hours in a cramped space -- and the temperatures outside that reached 120 Fahrenheit.

The driver's compartment is called the "hellhole" because it sits over the engine and becomes almost unbearably hot. The vehicle commander and gunner can sit up in hatches to see the outside world. At the tail end are hatches for two gunners. Eight passengers -- an infantry squad in combat conditions -- can squeeze in the back.

Riding as a passenger felt a bit like being in a World War II-era submarine -- a tight fit and no windows. The air conditioning was switched off to save fuel on the long ride south to Kuwait. Men dozed or listened to music on earphones.

When the convoy finally reached the sandy border, two soldiers, armed and helmeted, jumped off their vehicle and raced each other into Kuwait.

Once out of Iraq, there was still work to be done. Vehicles had to be stripped of ammunition and spare tires, and eventually washed and packed for shipment home.

Meanwhile, to the north, insurgents kept up a relentless campaign against the country's institutions and security forces, killing five Iraqi government employees in roadside bombings and other attacks Wednesday. Coming a day after a suicide bomber killed 61 army recruits in central Baghdad, the latest violence highlighted the shaky reality left by the departing U.S. combat force and five months of stalemate over forming Iraq's next government.

For Dill, who reached Kuwait with an earlier convoy, the withdrawal engendered feelings of relief. His mission -- to get his squad safely out of Iraq -- was accomplished.

Standing alongside a hulking Stryker, his shirt stained with sweat, he acknowledged the men who weren't there to experience the day with him.

"I know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot, to finally see us getting out of here," he said.

[anon45]

After Seven Years, Final U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq
Published August 18, 2010
Associated Press
FOXNews.com - After Seven Years, Final U.S. Combat Brigade Leaves Iraq

KHABARI CROSSING, Kuwait -- As their convoy reached the barbed wire at the border crossing out of Iraq on Wednesday, the soldiers whooped and cheered. Then they scrambled out of their stifling hot armored vehicles, unfurled an American flag and posed for group photos.

For these troops of the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, it was a moment of relief fraught with symbolism. Seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion, the last American combat brigade was leaving Iraq, well ahead of President Barack Obama's Aug. 31 deadline for ending U.S. combat operations there.
------
EDITOR'S NOTE: The 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division was officially designated the last combat brigade to leave Iraq under Obama's plan to end combat operations in Iraq by Aug. 31. Associated Press writer Rebecca Santana joined the troops on their final journey out of the country.
------
When 18-year-old Spc. Luke Dill first rolled into Iraq as part of the U.S. invasion, his Humvee was so vulnerable to bombs that the troops lined its floor with flak jackets.

Now 25 and a staff sergeant after two tours of duty, he rode out of Iraq this week in a Stryker, an eight-wheeled behemoth encrusted with armor and add-ons to ward off grenades and other projectiles.

"It's something I'm going to be proud of for the rest of my life -- the fact that I came in on the initial push and now I'm leaving with the last of the combat units," he said.

He remembered three straight days of mortar attacks outside the city of Najaf in 2003, so noisy that after the firing ended, the silence kept him awake at nights. He recalled the night skies over the northern city of Mosul being lit up by tracer bullets from almost every direction.

Now, waiting for him back in Olympia, Wash., is the "Big Boy" Harley-Davidson he purchased from one of the motorcycle company's dealerships at U.S. bases in Iraq -- a vivid illustration of how embedded the American presence has become since the invasion of March 20, 2003.

That presence is far from over. Scatterings of combat troops still await departure, and some 50,000 will stay another year in what is designated as a noncombat role. They will carry weapons to defend themselves and accompany Iraqi troops on missions (but only if asked).

Special forces will continue to help Iraqis hunt for terrorists.

So the U.S. death toll -- at least 4,415 by Pentagon count as of Wednesday -- may not yet be final.

The Stryker brigade, named for the vehicle that delivers troops into and out of battle, has lost 34 troops in Iraq. It was at the forefront of many of the fiercest battles, including operations in eastern Baghdad and Diyala province, an epicenter of the insurgency, during "the surge" of 2007. It evacuated troops at the battle of Tarmiyah, an outpost where 28 out of 34 soldiers were wounded holding off insurgents.

Before the Aug. 31 deadline, about half the brigade's 4,000 soldiers flew out like most of the others leaving Iraq, but its leadership volunteered to have the remainder depart overland. That decision allowed the unit to keep 360 Strykers in the country for an extra three weeks.

U.S. commanders say it was the brigade's idea, not an order from on high. The intent was to keep additional firepower handy through the "period of angst" that followed Iraq's inconclusive March 7 election, said brigade chief, Col. John Norris.

It took months of preparation to move the troops and armor across more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) of desert highway through potentially hostile territory.

The Strykers left the Baghdad area in separate convoys over a four-day period, traveling at night because the U.S.-Iraq security pact -- and security worries -- limit troop movements by day.

Along the way, phalanxes of American military Humvees sat at overpasses, soldiers patrolled the highways for roadside bombs, and Apache attack helicopters circled overhead as the Strykers refueled alongside the highway.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gus McKinney, a brigade intelligence officer, acknowledged that moving the convoys overland put soldiers at risk, but said the danger was less than in past.

The biggest threat was roadside bombs planted by Shiite extremist groups who have a strong foothold in the south, McKinney said.

But except for camels straying into the road, and breakdowns that required some vehicles to be towed, there were no incidents.

The worst of the ride was conditions inside the Strykers -- sitting for hours in a cramped space -- and the temperatures outside that reached 120 Fahrenheit.

The driver's compartment is called the "hellhole" because it sits over the engine and becomes almost unbearably hot. The vehicle commander and gunner can sit up in hatches to see the outside world. At the tail end are hatches for two gunners. Eight passengers -- an infantry squad in combat conditions -- can squeeze in the back.

Riding as a passenger felt a bit like being in a World War II-era submarine -- a tight fit and no windows. The air conditioning was switched off to save fuel on the long ride south to Kuwait. Men dozed or listened to music on earphones.

When the convoy finally reached the sandy border, two soldiers, armed and helmeted, jumped off their vehicle and raced each other into Kuwait.

Once out of Iraq, there was still work to be done. Vehicles had to be stripped of ammunition and spare tires, and eventually washed and packed for shipment home.

Meanwhile, to the north, insurgents kept up a relentless campaign against the country's institutions and security forces, killing five Iraqi government employees in roadside bombings and other attacks Wednesday. Coming a day after a suicide bomber killed 61 army recruits in central Baghdad, the latest violence highlighted the shaky reality left by the departing U.S. combat force and five months of stalemate over forming Iraq's next government.

For Dill, who reached Kuwait with an earlier convoy, the withdrawal engendered feelings of relief. His mission -- to get his squad safely out of Iraq -- was accomplished.

Standing alongside a hulking Stryker, his shirt stained with sweat, he acknowledged the men who weren't there to experience the day with him.

"I know that to my brothers in arms who fought and died, this day would probably mean a lot, to finally see us getting out of here," he said.

All that can be done now is to wait for either the stabilization of its infant democracy or its implosion.

Hopefully Iraq will be a better place to live for its children and grandchildren than it was for its parents and grandmothers.

I am not fool enough to believe that was the objective, but if it happens to be an effect than it may be some comfort. Even better if they became an ally to the US, but thats neither here nor there for now.

[GUNNER]

Last US Combat Brigade Exits Iraq

BAGHDAD, Aug 19, 2010 - The last US combat brigade pulled out of Iraq at dawn on Thursday, a key milestone in the withdrawal of American forces more than seven years after the US-led invasion ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.

Under the cover of dark, the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, crossed the border into neighbouring Kuwait ahead of the planned declaration of an end to US combat operations in Iraq by an August 31 deadline.

The pullout came two days after a suicide bomber killed 59 people at a Baghdad army recruitment centre in Iraq's deadliest attack this year, sparking concern the country's forces are incapable of handling security on their own.

"Yes, they did," Lieutenant Colonel Eric Bloom told AFP, when asked if the 4th Stryker Brigade had crossed into Kuwait. "The last one crossed at about 6:00 am this morning."

"They have a few more days to clean the equipment, prepare the equipment, get it ready for shipment, and then they'll fly out (back to the United States)."

It took two days for the 360 military vehicles and 1,200 soldiers to travel from Camp Liberty on Baghdad's outskirts and Camp Taji north of the capital, through the Shiite south, and into the Gulf emirate, Bloom said.

He said the remaining soldiers in the 4,000-strong brigade departed the country by air.

Captain Russell Varnado at Camp Arifjan, a major US base about 70 kilometres (45 miles) south of Kuwait City, told AFP that "the combat troops have finished moving."
"The troops are transitioning now. They are scheduled to go back home soon," he said, without giving a specific date.

Kuwait, which is host to several American military camps in the country's northern desert close to the Iraqi border as well as a naval base, was used as the launchpad for the US-led invasion.

About 56,000 US soldiers remain stationed in Iraq, with that figure set to drop to 50,000 by September 1, less than a third of the peak level during "the surge" of 2007.

At that point, the US mission in Iraq will be re-christened "Operation New Dawn", from "Operation Iraqi Freedom" -- the name given to American operations here since the 2003 invasion.

The remaining 6,000 soldiers who will leave the country in the next two weeks are clustered throughout Iraq, Captain Sarah Baumgardner said.

"And we'll continue to go through our responsible drawdown to meet that drawdown by 1 September," Major General Stephen Lanza said in an interview with US television channel MSNBC. "It is about a transition to a change of mission, going from combat operations to stability operations."

The pullout coincided with the arrival of James Jeffrey, the new US ambassador to Iraq, who presented his diplomatic credentials Wednesday to the conflict-torn nation's head of state, President Jalal Talabani.

Jeffrey's arrival comes during a political deadlock in Iraq, with no new government having yet formed after elections in March, and in the middle of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when insurgent attacks typically peak.

A spike in violence in July, the deadliest month here since 2008 according to Iraqi figures, and the suicide attack on Tuesday which was blamed on Al-Qaeda, have sparked disquiet over the readiness of Iraq's security forces.

While US officers insist their Iraqi counterparts are up to the task, the country's top military officer told AFP last week that US forces may be needed in the conflict-wracked nation for a further decade.

That seems unlikely, however, as the White House has repeatedly insisted that the withdrawal schedule, which will see the last US soldier depart Iraq at the end of next year, remains on track.

US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley described the end of combat operations as a "historic moment", but stressed America's long-term commitment to Iraq was unwavering.

"We're not ending our involvement in Iraq," he told MSNBC as the footage of the brigade crossing into Kuwait was shown.

"We will have important work to do. This is a transition. This is not the end of something. It's a transition to something different. We have a long-term commitment to Iraq."

Crowley said the conflict had come "at high expense" after one trillion dollars was spent in Iraq and more than 4,400 lives were lost.

[GUNNER]

US To Rely On 7000 Contractors In Iraq

WASHINGTON, Aug 19, 2010 - The US State Department is to more than double the number of security contractors it employs in Iraq to around 7,000, filling a gap left by departing troops, the New York Times reported Thursday.

The newspaper said the contractors would be deployed to defend five fortified compounds that will be left behind as US combat forces exit Iraq and the US mission switches from a military-led to a civilian-headed operation.

Citing unnamed administration officials, the Times said private security contractors would operate radar to warn of enemy fire, search for roadside bombs, and fly surveillance drones.

They could also staff "quick reaction forces" dispatched to rescue civilians in trouble.

The massive increase in security contractors is an indication of the unusually large role that will be assumed by US diplomatic staff after combat troops leave Iraq.

The last US combat brigade left Iraq at dawn on Thursday, leaving behind some 56,000 US soldiers who will gradually draw down over the coming year.

The Times said more than 1,200 specific tasks currently handled by US troops have been identified for handover to US civilians or Iraqis or to be phased out.

The State Department meanwhile, seeking to outfit its employees for the next phase of their mission, plans to purchase 60 mine-resistant vehicles from the Pentagon and to expand its inventory of armored cars to 1,320.

It also plans to add three planes to the sole aircraft it has now, and expand its helicopter fleet -- to be piloted by contractors -- to 29 from 17.

The increased reliance on security contractors could cause conflict with Iraq's government, which is sensitive to the use of foreign security personnel because of their alleged involvement in incidents involving civilian deaths.

But the forces employed by the State Department will not have immunity from Iraqi prosecution, will be required to register with the country, and will be trailed by State Department regional security officers for extra oversight.

[lcloo]

I can't help but thinking of US retreat from South Vietnam, what will happen to the people in Iraq? I hope the Iraqis can can do better on their own and be united, agree to disagree on religious matters.

[True_Pakistan_Zindabad]

Thus seals an era of the biggest *** whooping a country has ever received. (Go back to the Saddam era sanctions and no fly zones. Then top it off with a healthy dose of shock and awe....poor Iraqis).

[anon45]

Thus seals an era of the biggest *** whooping a country has ever received. (Go back to the Saddam era sanctions and no fly zones. Then top it off with a healthy dose of shock and awe....poor Iraqis).

I'd say the biggest collective *** whooping was ww1 for the population of involved countries in general and ww2 for the civilian population.

[siegecrossbow]

Glad that the troops are finally pulling out of that hell-hole.

The war has been a mistake through and through. Now I fear that extremists may take advantage of the withdrawal to create an even more oppressive government. So much for Bush's naive plans...

Good luck to the Iraqi people and government for insuring peace in the nation for the decades to come.

[gambit]

Iraqis watch pullout with bitterness and fear

One soldier, asked if security would deteriorate with the departure of the Americans, replied: ''Of course, because we have no government.''

Another made it clear he was not happy to see the Americans go. ''I wish they had taken me with them,'' he said. ''I don't want to be here.''

[anon45]

Should be noted there still remain 50,000 combat troops, just under a different name. They will still advise and coordinate with Iraqi forces Including airstrikes.

[siegecrossbow]

About a year ago I ran across the news that the U.S. will help rebuild the Iraqi Airforce (currently using helis and cessna trainers) with F-16s. How soon is that going to happen?

[Thomas]

About a year ago I ran across the news that the U.S. will help rebuild the Iraqi Airforce (currently using helis and cessna trainers) with F-16s. How soon is that going to happen?

Iraq Seeks F-16 Fighters

"Aug 2/10: The Government of Iraq has signed an agreement with the U.S. for 10 Iraqi Air Force pilots to begin prerequisite F-16 training. “This agreement follows the request submitted by the GoI to purchase 18 new Block 52 F-16 airplanes.”

The pilots are projected to begin training in the U.S. this fall, and upon graduation, these pilots will have completed all prerequisite flight training necessary to move immediately into F-16 training. The 12-17 month program will include all necessary components of T-6A Texan II and T-38 Talon training, including a course called Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals. The intensive flight training will be complemented with specialized English language training for aviation."


If the U.S. is going to train Iraqi pilots I think you can bank on Iraq getting the F-16's

[paksarzameen]

I think, for the record, we should do a recap of the events that took place in the Iraq war, here's what I recall of the top of my head

1. Suspicious death of the British scientist Dr Kelly

2. Hans Blix , the UN weapon inspector , categorically saying that Iraq does not have WMD

3. Tony Blair's fake 'dossier' on Iraq's WMD

4. Colin Powel making the case for War against Iraq at a UN summit (using radio conversations between Iraqi foot patrols including 'yes yes no no' type of conversations ...lol )

5. Rumsfeld’s press briefings ( which the fox news types loved at that time calling them the 'Rummy Show' , where that dick head once quoted Al Capone also .. lol )

6. The use of 'Shock and Awe'

7. George 'Dubya' Bush's 'Mission Accomplished'

8. Abu Gharaib and its poster girl Lyndie England

9. The faked 'Rescue' of Jessica Lynch

10. Double dealings of Ahmed Chalabi

11. Moqtda Al Sadr and the Mahdi Army

12. The death of the 3000th US Servicemen in Iraq

13. The Falujahh Operation

14. Wikileaks footage of an Apachie crew killing Iraqis

15. Defeat and exit of United States ( they can call it whatever they want )

[brahmastra]

U.S. Combat Brigades Stay in Iraq Under Different Name

As the final convoy of the Army's 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., entered Kuwait early Aug. 19, a different Stryker brigade remained in Iraq.

Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division are deployed in Iraq as members of an Advise and Assist Brigade, the Army's designation for brigades selected to conduct security force assistance.


So while the "last full U.S. combat brigade" left Iraq, just under 50,000 soldiers from specially trained heavy, infantry and Stryker brigades will stay, as well as two combat aviation brigades.

Compared with the 49,000 soldiers in Iraq, there are close to 67,000 in Afghanistan and another 9,700 in Kuwait, according to the latest Army chart on global commitments dated Aug. 17. Under an agreement with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops must be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.

There are seven Advise and Assist Brigades in Iraq, as well as two additional National Guard infantry brigades "for security," said Army spokesman Lt. Col. Craig Ratcliff.

Last year, the Army decided that rather than devote permanent force structure to the growing security force assistance mission, it would modify and augment existing brigades.

The Army has three different standard brigade combat teams: infantry, Stryker and heavy. To build an Advise and Assist Brigade, the Army selects one of these three and puts it through special training before deploying.

The Army selected brigade combat teams as the unit upon which to build advisory brigades partly because they would be able to retain their inherent capability to conduct offensive and defensive operations, according to the Army's security force assistance field manual, which came out in May 2009. This way, the brigade can shift the bulk of its operational focus from security force assistance to combat operations if necessary.

To prepare for their mission in Iraq, heavy, infantry and Stryker brigades receive specialized training that can include city management courses, civil affairs training and border patrol classes.

As far as equipment goes, the brigades either brought their gear with them or used equipment left behind that is typical to their type of brigade, said Ratcliff.

The first Advise and Assist Brigade - the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Armored Division from Fort Bliss, Texas - deployed last spring to Iraq, serving as a "proof of principle" for the advisory brigade concept.

Of the seven Advise and Assist Brigades in Iraq, four are from the 3rd Infantry Division, based at Fort Stewart, Ga. The 1st Heavy Brigade of the 1st Armored Division, based at Fort Bliss, and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson, Colo., are also serving as Advise and Assist Brigades.

The 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division is based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. A combat medic from that unit was killed Aug. 15 when his Stryker combat vehicle was hit with grenades, according to press reports.

Two combat aviation brigades also remain in Iraq, according to Dan O'Boyle, Redstone Arsenal spokesman. Three more are deployed in Afghanistan, where there are currently no Advise and Assist Brigades.

U.S. Combat Brigades Stay in Iraq Under Different Name - Defense News

[lcloo]

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IN former South Vietnam they did the similar thing, training and providing weapons to the locals to take over the fighting from those that left. And would provide air covers and sent the ground trainers to join in the fightings when the locals had problem holding their grounds.

Can the Iraqi avoid the fate of the former South Vietnamese? Time will tell.