Father and Son

LTC Richard O'Conner talks with his son PFC Ryan O'Conner. He met his son Ryan for a birthday celebration. Both are here in Iraq. LTC O'Conner is ready to leave while Ryan just started his tour. Pic: SGT Dennis Gravelle

Soldier with the 172nd Stryker Brigade Comabt Team checks a suspected terrorist for bomb making materials. The 172nd SBCT captured several terrorists during a night raid. PIc: SGT Dennis Gravelle

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery prepare to load a Guided Missile Launch Rocket System into a M-270 launcher in preparation for their upcoming mission. Pic: SGT Dennis Gravelle

Iraqi Police vehicles line up in formation in preparation for a night raid with Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. Pic: SGT Dennis Gravelle

Soldiers from 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade conduct vehicle searches in Mosul. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

Soldiers from C CO, 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade conduct tactical questioning at an incident site in Mosul. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

Soldiers from 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade pull security while on patrol in Mosul. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

Soldiers from 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade conduct tactical questioning of a grave digger in Mosul. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

Members of the Mosul Iraq Iraqi Police force and soldiers from 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade operate a combined traffic control point in Mosul. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

Members of the Mosul Iraq Iraqi Police force and soldiers from 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade operate a combined traffic control point in Mosul Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

SFC Goldstein, HHC 1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade, Mosul during a dismounted patrol security halt. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

1-17INF, 172nd Stryker Brigade during a mounted patrol in Mosul. Pic: CPT Thomas Kurtz

SSG Figo, 67th Eng. Det., waiting her turn to 'sniff out' contraban or explosives in the gym on Camp Victory. Pic: SGT Ann Drier

SGT Stephen Phillips of A Company, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion helps a local child with repairs to his book bag during a visit to the recently constructed, and as yet, unnamed schoolhouse in Husseinia. Visits such as these help to better assess the needs of the local population as well as what issues must be addressed so that they can better serve the community and carry out their civil responibilities. Pic: SPC Charles W. Gill

Soldiers from HHB 4-3 20 field artillery, 101st Division and Iraqi police officers search a greenhouse in the Zafaraniyah District. Pic: SPC Teddy Wade

SPC Hunt from 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado, spends time with children. The Army, along with the Iraqi police, performed a joint foot patrol to familiarize them-selves with the area and to meet with local citizens. Pic: Laura M. Buchta

Soldiers from Bravo Company, 2nd Bn, 502nd INF continued Operation Falcon Sweep in the Village of Shakaria. At the completion of a successful mission soldiers wait for Blackhawk helicopters to pick them up and return them to Camp Striker, home of the 2-502 INF. Pic: SSG Kevin L. Moses Sr

A Task Force Band of Brothers OH 58 Kiowa helicopter refuels at Forward Operating Base McHenry while conducting a night surveillance mission. Pic: SPC Timothy Kingston

Iraqi and U.S. Army Soldiers bear their nations' flags at a transfer of authority ceremony at Forward Operations Base Warhorse in Ba'Qubah. Pic: SPC Danielle Howard

Soldiers with Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division search for improvised explosive devices on a roadside. Pic: SPC Teddy Wade

Soldiers with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Brigade check the hands of an Iraqi man for traces of explosives in Shakaria.. Pic: SSG Kevin L. Moses Sr.

An Iraqi soldier celebrates the graduation of a new group of Iraqi police officers at the Iraqi police academy in Baghdad Pic: SPC Teddy Wade

An Iraqi police officer and two U.S. Army Soldiers visit with children in Shiftah. Pic: PFC Laura M. Buchta

Sen. Christopher Bond of Missouri greets his son, U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Samuel R. Bond, at Landing Zone East on Camp Fallujah. Bond is assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force. Pic: Lance Cpl. Michael J. O'Brien, U.S. Marine Corps

MAJ Eric Elgin prescribes medication for an Iraqi child during a medical civic action program in Almeshahama. Elgin is a physician assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment. Pic: SSG Kevin L. Moses Sr

Soldiers fire a rocket from inside a Multiple Launch Rocket System during a tactical mission at Forward Operations Base Q-West, Qayyarah. The system belongs to 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery, 4th Fires Brigade. Pic: SSG James H. Christopher III.

U.S. Navy Lt. Robert Marsh and Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Bill Davison set up a test detonation at a range in Ad Diwaniyah. Both Sailors are assigned to Detachment 11, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Eleven, based on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. Pic: PFC Timothy J. Villareal, U.S. Army

SSG Daniel Fields and PVT Jeman Gaddi provide security during a patrol in Rawah. Both Soldiers are with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment. Pic: Lance Cpl. Shane S. Keller, U.S. Marine Corps

Iraqi firefighters arrive at the scene of a bombing Pic: SPC Danielle Howard

Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, enter the rear of a Chinook helicopter at Forward Operations Base Loyalty in Baghdad. The Soldiers are scheduled to return to Fort Stewart, Ga., after a yearlong deployment to Iraq. Pic: SPC Teddy Wade

A plume of smoke surrounds a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter as Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division conduct an aerial assessment of an oil pipeline fire outside Forward Operating Base McHenry. Elements of the 101st Airborne Division are deployed to Iraq from Fort Campbell, Ky. Pic: SPC Timothy Kingston

LTC Scott Wuestner, right, of Command Task Force Thunder passes the colors to Iraqi Lt. Col. Salahaddin Abdul Somad Hogar of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, during a change of responsibility ceremony in Makhmur. Wuestner is the commander of the 4-11th Field Artillery. Pic: SPC Clydell Kinchen

Army sniper with Bravo Company, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division stands ready to engage targets during a mission.. Pic: SPC Lester Colley,

Iraqi army soldiers deliver medical supplies to Ibn Al-Bitar Hospital in Baghdad. Pic: SPC Timothy W. Story,