A U.S. Marine from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment monitors a grove of palm trees and fields near the Euphrates River in Haditha, Iraq, on Friday Oct. 7, 2005. For some Marines in 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment from Camp Pendleton, California, this hectic pace is how they prefer life. But for others, many on their third tour in Iraq in as many years, the demands of life these days in the overstretched U.S. military is just too much, regardless of the plum bonuses being dangled in front of them. (AP Photo/Antonio Castaneda)
Don't want you talking to yourself! They serve with honor.
Hopefully this will be the last time they have to put in a tour in the pit. As the Syrian border is closed down, and the whole Euphrates stretch from the Syrian/Iraqi main road crossing at Qusaybah down to Baghdad is literally shut down, and occupied by American Army/Marine, Iraqi forces, the insurgency is going to fade away. Once the final elected government is in place, an constitution, and as important continued build up and training of the Iraqi forces, our troops shall be able to withdraw appropriately, leaving only airforce army units to continue the ongoing training and supply requirements where Iraqi Bns on up may still not at that time have full capabilites (HQ supply, transportation) to self sustain.