Two Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment and an Iraqi soldier peek inside a hole searching for stored weapons and munitions during an operation ridding Al Qaida fighters from the city of Bayji, More
Staff Sgt. Mike Calaway and Sgt. 1st Class Boe, a therapeutic dog for Soldiers in Iraq, prepare to greet 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Soldiers stationed at COB Speicher, Iraq, Jan. 10.
A non-commissioned officer from the 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, lights a symbolic candle during an NCO induction ceremony held on Contingency Operating Bas More
A Soldier from Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division peers through the glass as his team searches for weapons near the Bichigan area of the Salah More
A Soldier with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division takes aim during a clearing operation in the Bichigan peninsula near Balad, Iraq, Feb. 15, 2008.
Soldiers from 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division clear a small fishing village on Lake Thar Thar, in the Salah ad Din province, Iraq. Operation Desert Harvest was an More
Soldiers from 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, warm up their humvees before departing on a mission to provide an Iraqi police station in ad Dawr with concrete b More
Local sheiks in Balad discuss the way forward during a Qadah meeting on April 3. Both Sunni and Shia sheiks attended the meeting together for the first time in more than a year.
A Soldier from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, patrols during an operation near Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team)
A long line of Bayji citizens extends out of the hospital where medical care was given to those in need.
"Bastogne" Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division conduct a night-time patrol in the city of Tikrit, Iraq. Tikrit, the governmental seat of the Salah ad Din province, has seen a dra More
A "Bastogne" Soldier from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, keeps an eye on a busy neighborhood in Tikrit, Iraq. Local Tikriti citizens have taken advantage of the improved security situatio More
A "Bastogne" Soldier takes a knee during a night time patrol in the city of Tikrit, Iraq. Local Tikriti citizens have taken advantage of the improved security situation here and are shifting their focus from s More
A "Bastogne" Soldier with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division patrols the streets of Tikrit, Iraq in the cover of darkness. Tikrit, the governmental seat of the Salah ad Din province, has seen a d More
Judy Thomsen is a finalist in the 2008 Mother of the Year competition held by Nashville television station WSMV.
"No Slack" Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) stand at parade rest while paying their respects to a fallen brother at Forward Op More
Tiger Force Soldiers investigate a building suspected of being used to store black market fuel in Bayji, Iraq. Tiger Force, which is part of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, is the most highly decora More
Staff Sgt. Calvin Avant, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, trains Iraqi army soldiers on how to operate a humvee. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka)
Staff Sgt. Rebecca Gaither, physical therapy NCOIC, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA), helps Soldiers get back on their feet at Combat Operations Base Speicher, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. R More
"No Slack" Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division honor a fallen brother with a 21 gun salute at Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora.
An Iraqi policeman stands silhouetted against the sun at the new al Answar Police Station in al Secour, Iraq.
An "Above the Rest" Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division takes up a fighting position during an Air Assault near the banks of the Tigris River. More
A Soldier with the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, pulls security in a village near Tikrit, Iraq, on Oct. 21, 2008. The Soldiers searched the village for contraba More
Soldiers of the Bastogne Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division return to a hero's welcome at Fort Campbell, Ky., Nov. 12, 2008. The Soldiers have returned from a 15 month combat tour in Iraq's Salah ad D More
"Bastogne" Brigade Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division stand to during a welcome home ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky. The "Bastogne" Soldiers returned home on Nov. 19 after spending 15 months in the Salah ad More
An Iraqi soldier kicks down a door at the Bayji train station during an operation ridding Al Qaida fighters from the city of Bayji, Iraq, in November 2007. After several months of U.S. and Iraqi-led operations More
Sgt. 1st Class Boe, a therapeutic dog being used in Iraq to help Soldiers relieve stress, greets Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Jan. 10.
Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, fire rounds from their M119A2 howitzer at enemy targets during Operation Fulton Harv More
A Soldier with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division and an Iraqi man take a break during Operation Helsinki near the Bichigan peninsula Feb. 15, 2008.
Soldiers from 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, warm up their vehicles before departing on a mission to provide an Iraqi police station in ad Dawr with concrete More
A Soldier with 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment watches as local sheiks in Balad discuss the way forward during a Qadah meeting on April 3. Both Sunni and Shia Sheiks attended the meeting together for the fi More
A 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Soldier pulls security near Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team)
A "Bastogne" Soldier with 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division patrols the streets of Tikrit in the cover of darkness. Tikrit, the governmental seat of the Salah ad Din province, has seen a dramati More
Tiger Force Soldiers scan rooftops in Bayji, Iraq during a recent mission. From Vietnam to Iraq, Tiger Force Soldiers have been at the tip of the spear.Tiger Force, which is part of the 1st Battalion, 327th Inf More
Staff Sgt. Rebecca Gaither, physical therapist NCOIC, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA), helps a Soldier stretch out his foot. The physical therapists here treat the Soldiers as if they were More
"No Slack" Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, honor a fallen brother with a 21 gun salute on Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora.
A "Balls of the Eagle" Soldier accepts a rooster from a young Iraqi near the city of Balad, July 26, 2008. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborn More
"Above the Rest" Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division on patrol during an Air Assault near the banks of the Tigris River. The Soldiers conduct More
A signal Soldier with the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division pulls security during an air assault mission on Oct. 21, 2008.
A "Bandit" Soldier of the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division, waves to family members gathered at Fort Campbell, Ky., to greet returning Screaming Eagles. The Regiment has wra More
An Iraqi soldier rides inside an Iraqi army vehicle during an operation ridding Al Qaida fighters from in and around the city of Bayji, Iraq, in November 2007. After several months of U.S. and Iraqi-led operati More
Sgt. 1st Class Boe, a therapeutic dog used in Iraq to help relieve stress, greets Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Jan. 10. Boe was donated by a non-profit organization, Amer More
A Soldier with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division takes a break during a clearing operation near the Bichigan peninsula near Balad, Iraq, Feb. 15, 2008.
After spotting several al-Qaida fighters fleeing the area, a Kiowa provides security for the Soldiers of the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division as they apprehend the More
Soldiers from 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, conduct pre-combat checks before hitting the road to deliver concrete barriers to a police station in Ad Dawr, Iraq.
Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, clear a room during an operation near Balad, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka, 1st Brigade Combat Team)
A Tiger Force Soldier scans the streets of Bayji, Iraq during a recent mission here. From Vietnam to Iraq, Tiger Force Soldiers have been at the tip of the spear.Tiger Force, which is part of the 1st Battalion More
Staff Sgt. Calvin Avant, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, grades an Iraqi army soldier's performance on driving. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka)
Staff Sgt. Gaither, physical therapist NCOIC, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA), checks on a Soldier with back pain at the Combat Support Hospital here at Combat Operations Base Speicher, Ir More
A "No Slack" Soldier presents arms during a memorial for a fallen brother at Forward Operating Base Brassfield-Mora.
"Above the Rest" Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division prepare to Air Assault onto the banks of the Tigris River. The Soldiers conducted Operat More
A medic pulls security during an air assault mission near Tikrit, Iraq. The 1st Special Troops Battalion Soldiers aimed to disrupt weapons trafficking in the tiny hamlet near Saddam Hussein's hometown.
"Bastogne" Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division during a welcome home ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky., Nov. 19. The Soldiers returned from a 15-month deployment in the Salah ad Din province of Iraq.
Sgt. Leonard Caliguri, Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and Pfc. Brad Miller, also from Alpha Battery, 2-320th FAR, h More
A Soldier with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division works through the mud during Operation Helsinki in the Bichigan peninsula Feb. 15, 2008.
A Soldier from the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division handles two enemy hand grenades found during Operation Desert Harvest.
Local sheiks in Balad discuss the way forward during a Qadah meeting with the governor of the Salah ad Din province on April 3. Both Sunni and Shia sheiks attended the meeting together for the first time in mor More
A Tiger Force Soldier on a recent mission in Bayji, Iraq. Tiger Force, which is part of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, is the most highly decorated platoon sized element in the U.S. Army. Tiger For More
An Iraqi army soldier takes a break from a drivers training course at Forward Operating Base Dagger, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Rick Rzepka)
"Above the Rest" Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division during an Air Assault near the banks of the Tigris River. The Soldiers conducted Operati More
A signal Soldier with the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, scans the barren landscape of the rural Tikrit area, during an air assault mission Oct. 21, 2008.
"Bastogne" Brigade Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, debark the Freedom Bird as they return home from a 15-month rotation in Iraq. The Regiment was instrumental in pa More
Sgt. 1st Class Boe, a therapeutic dog being used in Iraq to help Soldiers relieve stress, sits in the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Operations Center, Jan. 10.
Soldiers with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division search for weapons caches Feb. 15, 2008, during Operation Helsinki near the Bichigan Peninsula.
Lt. Col. Rick Rhyne, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, gets a light from an Iraqi policeman during Operation Desert Harvest.
An "Above the Rest" Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division on patrol during an Air Assault near the banks of the Tigris River. The Soldiers condu More
Special Troops Battalion Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, air assaulted into a village near Tikrit, Iraq, on Oct. 21, 2008. The Soldiers aimed to disrupt weapons trafficking ope More
"Bandit" Soldiers, led by Lt. Col. Robert McCarthy and Command Sgt. Maj. Felipe Paul, march through the doors of an airplane hangar as hundreds of family members cheer upon their return home to Fort Campbell, K More
A vehicle used by al-Qaida in Iraq fighters is destroyed by Soldiers from the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division after enemy fighters engaged coalition forces by deto More
A Soldier from 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, goes over a pre-combat checklist before hitting the road to deliver concrete barriers to a police station in Ad More
"No Slack" Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) prepare to render a 21-gun salute at Forward Operating Base Summerall, Iraq, in ho More
A Tiger Force Soldier patrols the streets of Bayji, Iraq during a recent mission here. Tiger Force, which is part of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, is the most highly decorated platoon sized elemen More
An "Above the Rest" Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division pulls security near a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during an Air Assault mission onto t More
Lt. Col. Robert McCarthy and Command Sergeant Maj. Filipe Paul stand at attention along with Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. The Soldiers r More
Soldiers with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division prepare to enter and clear a building Feb. 15, 2008, during Operation Helsinki near the Bichi More
"No Slack" Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) render a 21-gun salute at Forward Operating Base Summerall, Iraq, in honor of a fa More
An "Above the Rest" Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division waves goodbye after an Air Assault near the banks of the Tigris River. The Soldiers co More
A Soldier with Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division peers out of a window with a M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, Feb. 15, 2008, during Operation Helsinki.
Sgt. 1st Class James Faggart, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, straps on his knee pads before heading out to deliver concrete barriers to a police station in ad More
"No Slack" Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), present arms at Forward Operating Base Summerall, Iraq, in honor of a fallen brother.
An "Above the Rest" Soldier of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during an Air Assault mission onto the banks of t More
1st Special Troops Battalion Soldiers silhouetted by the sun during an air assault mission near Tikrit, Iraq, Oct. 21, 2008.