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Photography by Joe Raedle / Getty Images
U.S. Army Spc. Matthew Carpenter, left, from Conway Ark. and Pfc. Thomas Adgate from LaMarque, Texas of the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, participate in what will be their last mass casualty drill, Dec. 2, at Camp Adder as the Army continues to send its soldiers and equipment home and the base is prepared to be handed back to the Iraqi government later this month at Camp Adder, near Nasiriyah, Iraq. The United States military continues its pullout of the country by the end of this year, after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
Camp Adder is also known as Tallil Air Base. The massive military complex was heavily damaged by coalition bombing missions during the Gulf War in 1991, and it has been used by several coalition groups since the second Iraq war ended. U.S. forces are scheduled to return the base to Iraqi control later this month.
I’m happy to see more and more soldiers coming out of Iraq. Seeing all of the homecoming videos popping up on youtube is the best part. It’s easy to spend a whole day watching them.
However, I struggle to find any meaning in the war as I look at Joe Raedle’s pictures. In the end, maybe we’ve simply learned to appreciate the people who were willing to serve while the rest of us enjoyed the comforts of home. I hope the country can “support the troops” with good veterans’ benefits and an economy that provides some decent jobs for returning solders.
Left: Captain Bishop Sparks from West Palm Beach, Fla. gathers his soldiers together on Friday to let them know when they are heading home.
Right: Specialist Sirlen Arriaza, left, from Indianapolis and Private First Class Michael Carter from Orlando, Fla. wrap up a 50 caliber machine gun as they prepare to ship it back to the United States on Dec. 1, 2011.
Left: Soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, push a tire into a shipping container as they pack up their equipment.
Right: Lt. Adam Pettus, from Tulsa, Okla. has the laundry room to himself as he washes clothes in a near-empty Camp Adder on Dec. 2, 2011.
Left: Soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, play a game of basketball on Friday as they relax before leaving Camp Adder .
Right: Sergeant Jeffrey Merrick from Columbus, Ohio pulls cases of equipment to a shipping container on Dec. 2, as his unit packs its equipment in preparation for leaving Camp Adder.
An empty bus stop is seen in Camp Adder on Dec. 2.
Vice President Joe Biden talks to TODAY's Ann Curry about the war in Iraq as he wraps up his final visit to the war-torn country before the U.S. military's withdrawal at the end of the year.
Related story: End of an era as US military hands Camp Victory to Iraqis
Leave a Comment:
Glad to have you come home.
Dont forget your Democrats in Congress voted to go to war,,,, It took their vote to make it happen... Presidents cannot commit troops,,,, only congress can....!!!
ken-2145683:
If only Congress can commit USA troops, then how did President Obama send troops to Libya?
Congratulations to all our troop's and their family for all they sacrificed for "our country" hope you have a wonder full holiday with your families for the first time in awhile. Next time we need to demand full dis-closer to the public on why we're going to war. Instead of blindly believing an trusting our elected officials.
delana-4439323:
Where have you been? We did that.
I read all of these post with a realization that anyone can convince themselves they are the sole teller of truth. For both sides of the political isle. Your leaders both voted and we supported this involvement by not protesting and voting in different leadership. We the American people are the final authority in this country. When we give up that final authority leadership will enslave us all. The enslavement has already started by unsustainable policy that has bankrupted this country. We are all that remains to prevent further collapse. Our voices and votes must be counted and heard. If you do not like the situation find better leadership.
I feel the need to make a clear statement about Vietnam and Iraq. I personally know individuals who were involved in both the logistics and battle planning years prior to both wars. You need to all here this loud and clear. The logistics and battle plans take years to develop and put into play. As a result the military leadership briefs the new president(s) and provides the information and logic for any action. Who do you think wants to waste all those years of planning and logistics just to accommodate a newbie president? The agenda and possible responses are already in play years before execution.
There is a human element in all of this that sets up the leadership in both parties to make mistakes. The basic human question is how do we respond and to whom do we respond? Who is the most credible threat and how do we defend against that threat? These questions will haunt anyone who accepts the job protecting the Constitution, states, and citizens of this country. President Lincoln in the greatest trial for the survival of this United States mentioned that he was more concerned if he was on God's side than if God was on Lincoln's side. The point is leadership must take responsibility for the choices it makes and do the best it can with the information it is presented with. Do any of us really know what George Sr. was lead to believe? Or Bill Clinton? Or George Jr. ? Or the current POTUS Obama? That information will be released years after we are all dead. History will have to judge. At the time I have to believe there own paradigms caused them to make the choices they did. God bless them everyone for being willing to stand on the wall and keep watch with their lack of future vision and depending on information the military packaged for them years in advance. The same goes for our military leadership. They are willing to stand on the wall while you and I sleep to protect us from all enemies real or imagined. In a flawed world they like you and I do the best they can with the information they are given.
More than anything I hope the country can provide for the returning veterans. I have seen to many of our national treasures reduced to homelessness and battling for life on our streets in a system that seems to turn it's back on them when their tour is done. Lets make a pledge not to do that this time...okay?
If you do not like the current direction of this country find new leadership and vote the old boys & girls club out. Make real change to campaign laws and close the entitlements of members of the House and Senate. Return working people from all walks of life to leadership and bounce the "professional" politicians who created our current mess. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Stop the partisan fighting and in a statesman like manner form laws that provide again for the "common good" of the citizens of the United States.
Talk about years of planning Notsosure10
Here is one for you;
All planned out. In early 1970’s both political parties endorsed and released “Workforce 2000” plans starting with the Fortune 500 companies. Workforce 2000 and NAFTA is Americas contribution to the new global economy. Jack Welch, then CEO of GE designed the model and the rest of the big leaguers followed in his foot steps. I remember it well working for a large aerospace company in So. Cal.
We attended a four hour presentation on how America was going to change. We were to become a service oriented country. How labor intensive work was going to be out sourced. How Chinas average pay scale was a whopping .35 cents per day. The man hours it took us to build one large airplane would be an equivalent cost to the most expensive BMW motorcar. Were all our stock holder excited. The Demographics of America were also explained. Guess what? The Hispanic communities was going to be the major population in the LA basin area. That’s right. See where we are today. All part of the plan and don’t forget, all endorsed by both political parties. Then the whipshooding began. Jack Welch implemented a theme called, “Keeping the Ideas Coming”. Ref. March Fortune 500 article. With the threat, or inevitable loss of our jobs, he started a manipulation cooptation strategy to pick the employees brains and make them think they could compete and save their jobs/asses. The CEO’s, corporate leaders and politicians are raking in all the benefits.
So when I hear and read about this new economy BS, remember our government has it all under control. The part I have trouble with is if people are not working and or making half of what they use to make, income tax revenue will drop as well. How dose a tax system expect to sustain and pay for basic services, afford a healthcare program and frequent handouts to the world in trouble?
In 1992 United Auto Workers union, (UAW) predicted that only 4% of the American workers will be represented by a union. Police, fire services and a few more government jobs will be represented to show the world America is still labor friendly.
As Americans Change so to speak and our earning power diminishes Americans will eventually take what they can get. Just like other third world counties did. Its Americas turn to become the stepchild.
And now Obama is bringing in Jeffrey Immelt CEO from GE. Immelt cut his teeth under Jack Welch and Harry Stonesypher. GE was the model corporation which has led to American’s loosing their jobs. Amazing how everything predicted is coming to pass.
Wal-Mart has become the new commissary to America.
Love the Military can't wait to see them come Home. Really, hate the put it back on the voter card, when Americans have been mistreated, left in the dark and lied to. Should have never, repeat never been at war in Iraq. Esp. for 10 yrs. Iran is the same Iran it has always been. American soldiers should be home building up America and patrolling our borders. Not rebuilding other Countries for the sake of Oil Companies. Democrats are not Oil motivated. They are clean Energy. Guardians of the environment.
Keep telling yourself that, but know No One is buying the BS anymore.
Suz-- both parties accept donations from Big Oil-- and in whopping amounts. Democrats are no cleaner than the other party on that note-- and remember that Bill Clinton issued unilateral strikes against Saddam's WMD capabilities too:
Both parties are implicitly corrupt.
"Repubicrat, Democran: One Party System!" --Sage Francis
Do not expect much of a ROI on this one.
I just dream of real change. A move forward to leadership from the people not lawyers and insiders who continue the problems. Not leadership who passes the buck or kicks the can down the road. Leadership that realizes the current policy has failed and must change to prevent the collapse of the United States.
Its to bad that the world is soooooooooo F______D up! to begin! the media is to blame as well as corporate america, the media only tells you what they want to tell you! NOT THE REAL @!$%#! it's a fact!!!!!! and why should we believe anything the govmnt tells us? there ALL LIARS/CROOKS/CRIMINALS, its time for martial law/capital punishment/new revolution!!!!!! its also funny how the government tells us that the troops are coming home? BULL@!$%#! there are 3200 soldiers leaving ft lewis washington between now and dec 5th! going to afganistan, pakistan etc, REPLACING THE ONE'S THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY COMING HOME! dont tell the american people that they are coming home. they are being replaced! PERIOD! kiss my butt to the american government! there all liars!!!!!!!!!!! theres so much more i would like to say! but it's way to lengthy! im tired of the gd liberals! im tired of the dems! im tired of the right/left wing extremists, WTF! EVERYBODY! CMON! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS OK? DISIPLINE YOUR KIDS! take responsibility, and act your god damn age, kick the dead beats off of welfare, and LETS START MAKING @!$%# HERE IN AMERICA AGAIN!!!!! NO MORE CHINA! MEXICO JAPAN! WTH HAPPENED TO GOOD OLD MADE IN AMERICA? HU??????? YES IM PISSED OFF BECAUSE OUR GOVERNMENT LET THIS @!$%# GET WAY TO FAR OUT OF HAND! TED NUGENT HAS IT RIGHT!!!!!!!
Now that is a good lesson that is what can happen when you listen to Ted Nugent. WHAT???
"AND ON BASS, MIKE HUCKABEE!!!!!!!!!!!!"
LOL! REAL LOUD!!!!!!!!!
oh the millions that will be wasted and buried out in the desert just because a few soldiers wont want to clean up the equipment.
Ron Paul 12 time to bring all the troops home.
Ron Paul is a Dr. That let his Campaign Manager die of pneumonia, due to lack of health insurance. Already, broke that oath. Why? President. Keep him in your own state hospital board or whatever.
Travel to the Desert and have a blast, if you are so worried about it. Call Halliburton they probably put it there on purpose anyway. Make them clean it up they make the BIG BUCKS>
Glad to hear the troops are headed home from Iraq. I pray corruption and greed does not rule again.
Lets us not for get Afghanistan. We sure could use laundry #1 here. The contract laundry along with the KBR-UK dfac are really ripping everybody off.
LOL.. WOW, just WOW.. look at all the arm chairs generals on here.. have any of you ever even served? LOL.. most of you haven't even set foot in any foreign country, let alone Iraq.. Leave the fighting to the men (and in some cases women).. but you go ahead on and "strategize".. go on.. have at it... ROTHLMAO.
Started out with a story:
US soldiers prepare to hand Camp Adder back to Iraqi forces comments followed as to blame:
Cleareye - It will truly be worthless if we forget to place the blame where it clearly belongs- George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
wmg-21 - Your ignorance as to the inexorable flow of American politics that led up to this moment is appalling.
publicus1776 - wmg-21: It is you have grasp of half the facts. The second point you miss is the sad miscalculation by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld
The dumb stuff reading goes on for a few times. This continues for awhile and none of you are clued in to how this war really got started.
Let’s go down memory lane shall we?
On September 6, 1970, the world witnessed the beginnings of modern rebellious fighting in what is today called as Skyjack Sunday. Palestinian terrorists hijacked four airliners and took over 300 people on board as hostage. The hostages were later released, but the planes were blown up.
In 1971 Richard M. Nixon was President of the United States.
1972 Summer Olympics
The Munich massacre takes place at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, where Palestinian Arab terrorists of the Black September terrorist organization kidnap and murder eleven Israeli athletes. Rise in the use of terrorism by militant organizations across the world. Groups in Europe like the Red Brigades and the Baader-Meinhof Gang were responsible for a spate of bombings, kidnappings, and murders. Violence continued in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. Radical American groups existed as well, such as the Weather Underground and the Symbionese Liberation Army, but they never achieved the size or strength of their European counterparts.
In Christmas 1979, Russian paratroopers landed in Kabal, the capital of Afghanistan.
Osama Bin Laden RIP you worthless waste of space.
After leaving college in 1979, bin Laden went to Pakistan and joined Abdullah Azzam to take part in the Soviet war in Afghanistan.[69][70] During Operation Cyclone from 1979 to 1989, the United States provided financial aid and weapons to the mujahideen leaders[71] through Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Bin Laden met and built relations with Hamid Gul, who was a three-star general in the Pakistani army and head of the ISI agency. Although the United States provided the money and weapons, the training of militant groups was entirely done by the Pakistani Armed Forces and the ISI.
Terrorist attacks
Main article: List of terrorist incidents#1970s–2000s
1983 Beirut barracks bombing
The most notable terrorist attacks of the decade include:
Air India Flight 182 was destroyed on June 23, 1985 by Sikh-Canadian militants. It was the biggest mass murder involving Canadians in Canada's history. The Rome and Vienna airport attacks take place on December 27, 1985 against the Israeli El Al airline. The attack was done by militants loyal to Abu Nidal, backed by the government of Libya. The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing - during the Lebanese Civil War two truck bombs struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forces killing 299 American and French servicemen. The organization Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing. The Lockerbie Disaster on 21 December 1988, when a Boeing 747-121 was blown up over the village of Lockerbie, Scotland while enroute from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's JFK. The bombing killed all 243 passengers, 17 crew members and 11 people on the ground, totaling 270 fatalities who were citizens of 21 nationalities. The bombing was and remains the worst terrorist attack on UK soil. Salvadoran Civil War 1980-1992, part of the cold war conflicts, reached its peak in the 1980s, 70,000 Salvadorans died.
From 1980 to 1988 Iraqi fought a bloody war against its neighbor Iran
On April 15, 1986 US war planes bombed the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Benghazi.
The Gulf War 1990/1991
August 7, 1998 US Embassy Bombings Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The main suspect is Osama Bin Laden
The US attacked Sudan and Afghanistan with cruise missiles as a response to the attacks on the embassies. The US attacked an alleged chemical weapons producing plant in Sudan with 13 cruise missile which resulted in the death of the night watchmen.
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001
People want to blame ex-President George W. Bush for the war. Too funny. People be dumb.
USS Stark May 17, 1987
37 sailors were killed and 21 were injured
USS Cole October 12, 2000
17 sailors were killed and 39 were injured in the blast.
The attack was the deadliest against a U.S. Naval vessel since the Iraqi attack on the USS Stark
Come home boys and girls. We will welcome you back to this mess here called the blame game.