4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Last US Combat Troops Leave Iraq

By Dan Robinson

August 19, 2010

Two weeks ahead of the schedule set by President Barack Obama, the last U.S. combat troops have left Iraq. The departure fulfills a commitment that Mr. Obama made to transition the U.S. presence in Iraq from a military-led mission to an advisory and training operation.

Pfc. Thomas Johnson, a combat engineer with 38th Engineer Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, checks the oil levels of his Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicle Aug. 18. Johnson, a Phoenix, native, and a fellow soldier drove the MRAP in front of a formation of Stryker armored vehicles all the way to the Iraq border to provide route clearance and ensure that the unit’s exit near the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom was successful.

U.S. news agencies and television networks embedded with departing troops confirmed the withdrawal, as the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, which was officially designated as the last brigade to leave Iraq, crossed into Kuwait at the Khabari border crossing.

The departure is well ahead of the August 31st deadline set by President Obama for ending combat operations, and comes seven years and five months after the U.S. and coalition forces invaded Iraq in March 2003.

The news came at the end of an otherwise quiet news day in which President Obama was concluding a multi-state cross country trip focused on the U.S. economy and supporting Democratic political candidates.

Neither the president nor officials traveling with him gave any indication in advance of the accelerated withdrawal, nor did the White House issue any immediate statement.

However, in recent weeks President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others spoke in detail about the withdrawal during appearances and news conferences.

The departure of U.S. combat forces fulfills a key pledge President Obama made to transition the U.S. presence in Iraq from a military-led one to a civilian-led effort, formally bringing to an end Operation Iraqi Freedom that began under Republican President George W. Bush.

Under a bilateral agreement with Iraq's government, all U.S. troops must be out of the country by the end of 2011. The 50,000 that remain will be engaged in training Iraqi forces, counter-terrorism operations, and protecting U.S. diplomatic and other personnel.

In remarks to disabled U.S. war veterans a few weeks ago, President Obama praised the sacrifices of American forces, saying they helped Iraqis stand up their political system and defeat al-Qaida in Iraq. At the same time, he said, Americans have not seen the end of sacrifices in Iraq, noting that terrorists continue to try to derail the progress Iraqis have made.

More than 4,200 U.S. servicemen and women lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom, with more than 30,000 wounded.

President Obama and U.S. officials have pointed to an overall reduction in violence in Iraq. But there has been an upturn in violence in recent weeks, with bomb attacks, including one by a suicide bomber this week that killed dozens of Iraqis standing in line at an army recruiting station.