Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Schweinfurt, Germany, provide security before conducting house to house searches for illegal weapons, explosives and high value targets in the Sadiyah section of Baghdad, Iraq.
Pic: SPC Olanrewaju Akinwunmi

A Soldier from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Schweinfurt, Germany, provides security during a house to house search for illegal weapons, explosives and high value targets in the Sadiyah section of Baghdad, Iraq.
Pic: SPC Olanrewaju Akinwunmi

SPC A.J. Jackson clears a roof top on a cordon and search mission in Ameriyah, Iraq. SPC Jackson is a soldier with Company A, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Pic: SPC Elisha Dawkins

Soldiers with Company A, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash., move out on a cordon and search mission in Ameriyah, Iraq.
Pic: SPC Elisha Dawkins

Soldiers from Company B, 3rd Brigade Support Battalion hold a prayer for a safe journey before the start of a mission to 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment.
Pic: SPC Ricardo Branch

SPC Quenton Sallows with 478th Civil Affairs gives an Iraqi youth a toy car while on a routine patrol and meet and greet through the Al Rasheed area of Mahmudiyah Iraq. Pic: SGT Jacob Smith

Soldiers with the latest Stryker brigade to arrive in Iraq pull security in the Taji area. The Soldiers are with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. The 4-2 SBCT is the fourth of five brigades to arrive in Iraq as part of the President's "surge" of troops into the Baghdad area. Pic: SGT Antonieta Rico

SSG Amaurys Rapozo, left, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, a squad leader with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and his pplatoon leader 2LT James Jung, of Albuquerque, N.M., searche through papers found in the home of a suspected bomb-maker following a raid in Sha'ab.

Cpl. David C. Dobie from Golf Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, Task Force Military Police searches an Iraqi army soldier boarding a bus at Al Asad, Iraq. Golf Battery is tasked with transporting Iraqi army soldiers from Al Asad to Al Taqqadum for their period of leave.
Pic: Cpl. Thomas Lew

Soldiers with the latest Stryker brigade to arrive in Iraq secure a road as residents walk by during a patrol in the Taji area, May 15. The Soldiers are with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash. The 4-2 SBCT is the fourth of five brigades to arrive in Iraq as part of the president's "surge" of troops into the Baghdad area. Unfortunately - it won't be enough. We should see how many troops we put on the ground in WWII in Italy, Germany, Japan and other locations and compare that ratio to the square miles of Iraq v. troops. The brigade assumed official responsibility for the area north of Baghdad including a part of deadly Diyala province.

Shown are ambulances that were handed over to the Diyala Ministry of Health from the Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Warhorse near Baqouba, Iraq. The ceremony marked the handover of 18 ambulances from the Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team to the Diyala Ministry of Health. Pic: SGT Armando Monroig

Gov. Ra’ad Tamimi, Diyala Province governor, holds the keys to the 18 ambulances that were handed over from the Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team to the Diyala Ministry of Health at Forward Operating Base Warhorse near Baqouba, Iraq. Pic: SGT Armando Monroig

SGT Robert Brogdon, of Erie, Pa., a team leader with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, helps Iraqi National Policemen direct traffic through a temporary vehicle checkpoint during a joint patrol through east Baghdad's Sha'ab neighborhood. The spur-of-the-moment checkpoints are used to disrupt insurgent supply lines and catch criminals off-guard.

SGT Robert Brogdon, of Erie, Pa., a team leader with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, helps Iraqi National Policemen direct traffic through a temporary vehicle checkpoint during a joint patrol through east Baghdad's Sha'ab neighborhood. The spur-of-the-moment checkpoints are used to disrupt insurgent supply lines and catch criminals off-guard.

Lt. Col. Wayne Grieme, second from right, commander, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, greets local athletes prior to a ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of the youth center in the Zafaraniyah area of east Baghdad, Iraq. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and community leaders were at the youth center in the Zafaraniyah area of east Baghdad, Iraq to commemorate its grand opening after major renovations were completed.
Pic: SSG Bronco Suzuki

LTC Wayne Grieme, commander, 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, speaks to local athletes after a ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of the youth center in the Zafaraniyah area of east Baghdad, Iraq. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and community leaders were at the youth center in the Zafaraniyah area of east Baghdad, Iraq to commemorate its grand opening after major renovations were completed.
PIC: SSG Bronco Suzuki

The Zafaraniyah District Advisory Council chairman cuts a ribbon during a ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of the youth center in the Zafaraniyah area of east Baghdad, Iraq. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and community leaders were at the youth center in the Zafaraniyah area of east Baghdad, Iraq to commemorate its grand opening after major renovations were completed.
Pic: SSG Bronco Suzuki

A U.S. Soldier provides perimeter security during an Iraqi police dismounted presence patrol, Kirkuk, Iraq. U.S. Soldiers are from 25th Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 35th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Charlie Company. Pic: Tech Sgt. Maria Bare

An Iraqi police officer hands out flyers during a dismounted presence patrol, Kirkuk, Iraq. Pic: Tech Sgt. Maria Bare

Maj. Anthony M. Sparagno from II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group shakes hands with an Iraqi army officer. Sparagno oversaw Marines from Golf Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, Task Force Military Police search Iraqi army soldiers boarding a bus to Al Taqqadum.
Pic: CPL Thomas Lew

Marines from Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, Task Force Military Police speak to the Iraqi border patrol chief about the contents of a truck entering Waleed, Iraq from Syria. The Marines discovered a stripped down vehicle hidden behind a shipment of groceries.
Pic: CPL Thomas Lew

Sgt. Robert Brogdon, of Erie, Penn., a squad leader with B Company, 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, checks his position on a GPS while conducting a nighttime foot patrol in Sha'ab, Baghdad.
Pic: SGT Michael Pryor

Members of Multi National Forces-West walk through the Market District of Hit, Iraq before departing to a provincial council of Al Anbar meeting. The provincial council of Al Anbar is meeting in Hit to discuss the political and economic stability of the Province.
Pic: SGT James Richardson

Mr. McFarland, Team Leader, Regimental Combat Team 2 Provincial Reconstruction Team, speaks with residents of Hit, Iraq. McFarland is in Hit to attend a provincial council of Al Anbar meeting.
Pic: SGT James Richardson

Deputy Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), Brig. Gen. John Allen, places sunglasses on a child while in Hit, Iraq. The provincial council of Al Anbar is meeting in Hit to discuss the political and economic stability of the Province.
Pic: SGT James Richardson

From left) LTG Ray Odierno, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, inspects Zaganiyah Patrol Base with 1SG Royce Manis, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment. Odierno visited troops at several newly-established bases to answer questions and recognize the service of Soldiers there.
Pic: SGT Jessica Kent

Soldiers with 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division practice cordoning off buildings and clearing rooms. The soldiers are currently students at the Iraqi School of Infantry, Camp Yassir, Iraq.
Pic: CPL Shane Keller

A soldier with 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division provides security during a training exercise at Camp Yassir, Iraq. The soldier is currently a student at the Iraqi School of Infantry.
Pic: CPL Shane Keller