• Moving out: Last US soldiers leave Iraq

    Mario Tama / Pool via EPA

    Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division rejoice in the convoy staging area before departing Camp Adder, now known as Imam Ali Base, Dec. 17, near Nasiriyah, Iraq.

    From NBC News, msnbc.com staff and news services:

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    The final section of the last American military convoy to depart Iraq from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division crosses over the border into Kuwait on Dec. 18, in Khabari Al Awazeem, Kuwait. Around 500 troops from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division ended their presence on Camp Adder, and departed in the final American military convoy out of Iraq.

    NBC News' Richard Engel tweeted from the border: "The gate to #iraq is closed. Soldier just told me, 'that's it, the war is over.'"

    The final column of around 100 mostly U.S. military MRAP armored vehicles carrying 500 U.S. troops trundled through the night along an empty highway, across the southern Iraq desert to the Kuwaiti border.

    The Iraq war began on March 20, 2003, at a time when national defense was a top priority for Americans still shocked by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. It continued with the invasion and ouster of Saddam Hussein, then ground through years of war against an insurgency that left tens of thousands dead.

    Lucas Jackson / Reuters

    U.S. Army soldiers perform a casing of the colors ceremony signifying the departure of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division as they depart in the last convoy from Camp Adder near Nasiriyah, Iraq on Dec. 17.

    Among those dead were nearly 4,500 Americans, and the war cost $800 billion from the U.S. Treasury. The question of whether it was worth it all is yet unanswered.

    "It's good to see this thing coming to a close. I was here when it started," Staff Sgt. Christian Schultz said just before leaving Contingency Operating Base Adder, 185 miles south of Baghdad, for the border. "I saw a lot of good changes, a lot of progress, and a lot of bad things too."

    "A good chunk of me is happy to leave. I spent 31 months in this country," said Sgt. Steven Schirmer, 25, after three tours of Iraq since 2007. "It almost seems I can have a life now, though I know I am probably going to Afghanistan in 2013. Once these wars end I wonder what I will end up doing."

    Read the full story here.

    Pool via Reuters

    Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division hug while preparing to depart in the last convoy from Iraq at Camp Adder, now known as Imam Ali Base, near Nasiriyah, Iraq, Dec. 17. The last convoy of U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending their withdrawal after nearly nine years of war and military intervention that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.

    Maya Alleruzzo / AP

    U.S. Army soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Hood, Texas, inspect their body armor at Camp Adder during final preparations for the last American convoy to leave Iraq.

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division secure equipment to a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle while preparing to depart in the last convoy from Iraq at Camp Adder, Dec. 17.

    Lucas Jackson / Reuters

    Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division play football while waiting at a staging area in Camp Adder to be part of the last U.S. military convoy to leave the country near Nasiriyah, Iraq on Dec. 17.

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    Specialist Matthew Hildebrandt from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division smokes while preparing to depart from Iraq at Camp Adder, Dec. 17.

    Lucas Jackson / Reuters

    Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division celebrate through the roof hatches of their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles as they drive out on the U.S. military's last combat patrol in the country, at Camp Adder near Nasiriyah, Dec. 16.

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    A soldier from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division cleans a housing unit to be turned over to the Iraqis while preparing to depart from Iraq at Camp Adder, now known as Imam Ali Base, Dec. 17.

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    A soldier from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, walks through the nearly deserted Camp Adder, now known as Imam Ali Base, on Dec. 16.

     

  • War comes to a close and troops head for home

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, carry their bags to customs as they prepare to fly home to Fort Hood, Texas after being one of the last American combat units to exit from Iraq on December 15, 2011 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City, Kuwait. Today the U.S. military formally ended its mission in Iraq after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, salute during the playing of retreat during the daily flag lowering ceremony as they prepare to fly home to Fort Hood, Texas after being one of the last American combat units to exit from Iraq on Dec.15 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City, Kuwait. Today the U.S. military formally ended its mission in Iraq after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

    By Natalia Jimenez, NBC News

    After being stationed at one of the few remaining U.S. bases in Iraq at Camp Adder, these soldiers today prepared to board their flight home to the United States from Kuwait. Most of them had been in Iraq for the past 7 to 10 months. Getty photographer Joe Raedle spent the past few weeks embedded with the troops. One of their first stops after leaving Iraq was McDonald's, after several weeks eating only MRE's (Meal, Ready to Eat).

    The U.S. military's pullout of Iraq was formally recognized today with a flag ceremony in Baghdad. While 4,000 troops remain in the country, they will be completely out by the end of the year.

    Read the full story: 'A new chapter': US officially ends Iraq war.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, carry their bags to waiting trucks as they prepare to board buses later in the evening to fly home to Fort Hood, Texas after being one of the last American combat units to exit from Iraq on December 15, 2011 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City, Kuwait. Today the U.S. military formally ended its mission in Iraq after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

     

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    A U.S. Army soldier from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, packs his helmet into his travel bag for the last time before the flight home from Kuwait after their unit exited from Iraq on Dec. 15 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City, Kuwait.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, place their bags on a truck as they prepare to board buses later in the evening to fly home to Fort Hood, Texas after being one of the last American combat units to exit from Iraq on Dec. 15 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City, Kuwait. Today the U.S. military formally ended its mission in Iraq after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

  • Leaving Iraq and heading for McDonald's in armored vehicles

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, wait with their armored vehicles as they prepare to convoy to Kuwait from Camp Adder in Iraq on Dec. 7, 2011, near Nasiriyah.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, go through one last check as they wait to board their armored vehicles and head to Kuwait from Camp Adder in Iraq on Dec. 7, 2011.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, wait to drive their armored vehicle in a convoy to Kuwait from Camp Adder in Iraq on Dec. 7, 2011 at Camp Adder, near Nasiriyah. After seven months in Iraq, the 3rd Brigade is pulling out of the country as part of America's military exodus.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army Sergeant James Linville from Brandon, Florida and Justin Herdman from Dover, Arkansas of the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, visit a McDonald's after arriving in Kuwait from Camp Adder in Iraq on Dec. 7, 2011 at Camp Virginia, near Kuwait City.

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    We've been publishing photos from the U.S. military's pullout from Camp Adder in Iraq on PhotoBlog. Today they crossed into Kuwait and are officially out of Iraq. Looks like they got to enjoy some fast food upon their arrival in Kuwait.

    More photos from Camp Adder on PhotoBlog.

    Update Thursday noon ET:

    Getty Images photojournalist Joe Raedle has been embedded with this first Cavalry unit since Dec. 1. He sent us some thoughts about his time with the unit and their departure from Iraq.

    The unit and their experience in Iraq:

    I get the feeling most of them are pretty happy to be going home. It’s been a long 7-10 month rotation for these guys.

    In a contrast to some of the other times I have been covering soldiers, these seem to have enjoyed the experience for the most part.  In the short time I was with them in Camp Adder, I went out on a couple of patrols, as well as, to witness the commander of the unit Lt. Col. Robert Wright visiting with some of the local leaders. They genuinely seemed to like and trust each other. Some of the soldiers attributed this to the fact that they eliminated most of the bad guys and because of a cease-fire called by Muqtada al-Sadr to allow the U.S. to exit from the country.

    The commander was also able to establish a trusting and friendly relationship with the local sheiks who would bring food to the base and allow the commander to stop by for lunch, which he and the troops look forward to because they said the food and tea was really good.

    Nasiriyah and leaving at night:

    I think I’ve been here about five times and from what I just witnessed, albeit only a few days, the very low hostility level between the Americans and Iraqi’s in Nasiriyah would indicate the pull out will leave behind an area that will be able to build on a successful handover.  Of course, there are so many factors that can’t be seen at this point that it’s a bit hard to say. 

    Nasiriyah seemed pretty peaceful. I think they left at night because no matter what, being in this part of the world opens up opportunities for people to kill American soldiers so the night departure was a way to minimize the chances of being attacked. They treated the exit as though there was a real threat.

    McDonald’s

    They were all talking about what they were looking forward to at Camp Virginia in Kuwait and most seemed to be jonessing McDonald’s. There is a limited amount of fast-food on the base and since they got here early in the morning that was one of the few places open. They did have fast food on the base in Iraq but it closed a few months ago as they shut the base down, so they had been eating MRE’s for a while.

    Going home and work:

    I think they are all looking forward to being home with their families for the holidays. I heard some of them mention that it would be hard to leave the military and find a job. Because of this, some seem to be taking the opportunity to go to college when they leave. But the ones who have said the job market is tough, don’t seem to be saying that they would stay in the military just because of that. Many of the soldiers are looking forward to making the military a career because they like being in the military and enjoy the job.

    Personally, the holiday season itself isn’t that important. We spend a lot of time on the road and just being home with my wife and friends at any time of the year is a good time. Pancho (Bernasconi, Raedle's boss) felt it is important, given what happened this year, for me to be home to spend time with my family so I plan on taking advantage of that. -- Joe Raedle

    (Raedle was captured along with several other journalists and held by Moammar Gadhafi loyalists in Libya earlier in this year and fellow Getty Images photographer Chris Hondros was killed in Libya along with Tim Hetherington)

  • A last lunch before leaving Camp Adder in Iraq

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    Left to right, U.S. Army Captain Bishop Sparks, Sergeant Jeremy Healy and Specialist Brian Remillard of the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, eat lunch with Sheik Mahmood Al-Ghizzi at his house, possibly for the last time, as the military prepares to head home from Camp Adder and hand the base back to the Iraqi government in Nasiriyah, Iraq.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army Specialist Christopher Riveria of the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, carries his gear to a staging area as they wait for the orders to convoy to Kuwait as the Army send its soldiers and equipment home from Camp Adder, near Nasiriyah, Iraq.

    Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    A U.S. soldier stands alone in a desolate Camp Adder on Dec. 5 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 near Nasiriyah, Iraq. Camp Adder is one of the few bases remaining that the United States controls as America's military continues its pullout of the country by the end of this year, after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

     

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    AP did an interview with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in which he said he's confident his country will remain independent from Iran and achieve stability even without the U.S. military presence. Full story.

    More photos from Camp Adder on PhotoBlog. 

  • Joe Raedle / Getty Images

    U.S. Army soldiers from the 2-82 Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, go out on one of their last patrols before heading back to the United States as the Army continues to send its soldiers and equipment home from Camp Adder on Dec. 4, in Nasiriyah, Iraq. The base is preparing to be handed back to the Iraqi government later this month. Camp Adder is one of the few bases remaining that the United Staes controls as America's miilitary continues its pullout of the country by the end of this year, after eight years of war and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

    US soldiers prepare for one of their last patrols in Iraq

    By Katie Cannon, Senior Multimedia Editor

    Although this image shows a somewhat relaxed little slice of life from the field, there is something haunting to me about this picture in that I imagine the last several patrols these men and women carry out must be some of the longest and possibly most tense of their deployment. If it were me, I would constantly worry about something bad cropping up right before heading home. Hopefully things are less tense for them than what I have conjured in my head.

    Check out more PhotoBlog posts from Iraq.

  • US soldiers prepare to hand Camp Adder back to Iraqi forces

    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.

    By Robert Hood

    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