[SandRat]

Iraqi forces from the 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, along with their Marine advisors from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, wait as CH-46 helicopters with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 266 land during Operation Moonlight, Dec. 19. Photo by: Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan

LOTS n LOTS more photos at source

[SandRat]

Calling all ROTOR-HEADS!

[StarCMC]

Quagmire. Those Iraqi's will never take responsibility for their own security. That's what Murtha says. /sarc


This story is AWESOME SandRat -- thanks for always finding the good stuff and posting it!!!

[Calpernia]

While participating in Operation Moonlight, Dec. 19, the Griffins flew Iraqi forces from the 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, along with their Marine advisors from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, in support of large-scale operations east of Ubaydi, in western Anbar province.

Operation Moonlight was the Iraqi brigade’s first planned and executed large-scale operation. Soldiers from three Iraqi battalions conducted cordon-and-knock procedures. The operation disrupted insurgent activity along the northern and southern banks of the Euphrates River near Ubaydi.

[McGavin999]

More and more the Iraqis are seeing their own fighting with the Americans and it's finally getting through to them that we're on THEIR side in this. The result is more and more Iraqis turning in the bad guys.

Pretty hard to consider us "occupiers" when most of the faces you are seeing are your own people.