BAGHDAD – Before the sun rose at Victory Base Complex on Sunday, Soldiers from C Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment found themselves poised to help Iraqi security forces protect voters during the national elections.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan — It was a sobering reminder to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates of the cost of the war in this country. In front of the headquarters of the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, is a white-painted blast wall bearing the names of the 22 Soldiers who have died on this mission.

Soldiers with 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division helped shape history and brought the people of Iraq one step closer to being free, and U.S. forces a step closer to coming home.

DIYALA, Iraq – Communication between forces in different areas is important in the Army. The 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division has an entire company of Soldiers dedicated to keeping proper lines of communication open.

DIYALA, Iraq – Soldiers in the 334th Signal Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, have a typical daily routine. Usually, it involves missions, workouts, and in downtime, video games or other activities with their buddies.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRAH, Iraq – Needing to bench press 315 pounds one time in the final Bench Off for the title at the March 1 Gunslinger Strongman Competition, Spc. Travis E. Dobson pumped out five repetitions.

The Soldiers of the 47th Combat Support Hospital returned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord two weeks ago with the collective satisfaction of a job well done.

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Soldiers with the 63rd Ordnance Company run operations to support the logistical supply for all types of munitions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON — Operations in Marjah, Afghanistan, are transitioning from the clearing to the holding phase, as today’s turnover of the government center there marks a symbol of progress, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said Friday.

DIYALA, Iraq – Helicopters hovering overhead may be a common sight for Soldiers in Iraq these days, but for those in 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, and their Iraqi Army partners, watching the skies on Feb. 17 provided a dramatic effect.

DIYALA, Iraq – Classrooms in the Khalis Secondary School have been bustling during the first two weeks of February. The traffic has not been from the students most people would expect for the school, but rather from a dedicated team of about 40 Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 23 Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Soldiers of the 66th Military Police Company graduated their first class of 36 Iraqi policemen from a five-day election security class here Feb. 4.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRAH, Iraq – “Your reports are a big factor to conducting operations. The information that you provide is essential to getting help to a wounded Soldier or getting support to troops under attack, so it’s vital that those reports be precise,” said Sgt. Michael E. Mullins, 14th Division Military Transition Team, U.S. Marines Corps.

BAGHDAD — When eight combat veterans volunteered to return to Iraq, they knew they would be interacting with troops, answering questions about their injuries, their experiences and their new lives as wounded warriors. They were ready.

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, rolled two handcrafted wheelchairs up a worn road and into the foyer of a small building before a Feb. 10 sheikh council meeting in the Aqur Quf area.

DIYALA, Iraq – “This is way easier than my last deployment,” said Sgt. George Applegate, a fire team leader for 2nd Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, while pulling security beside his Stryker vehicle that was staged next to the headquarters of the Iraqi Police’s 7th Battalion Emergency Reaction Force in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, on the night of Jan. 31.

BASRAH PROVINCE, Iraq – U.S. military leaders returned four camps to the government of Iraq in the country’s southern region, Jan. 30.

NASIR WA SALAM, Iraq – The clock is crucial when treating serious injuries.

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, completed the transfer of two M-777 Howitzers from Kandahar Air Field to Forward Operating Base Price Jan. 16.