Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members gather early in the morning on Nov. 1, 2011, near their tents in Iraq to begin their journey to the U.S. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members gather early in the morning on Nov. 1, 2011, near their tents in Iraq to begin their journey to the U.S. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members gather early in the morning on Nov. 1, 2011, near their tents in Iraq to begin their journey to the U.S. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members gather early in the morning on Nov. 1, 2011, onto buses that will bring them to the Al Asad Air Base Passenger Terminal in Iraq to begin their journey to the U.S. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members fill out paperwork at the Al Asad Air Base Passenger Terminal in Iraq to clear customs prior to departing for the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Senior Airman Amber Boyd, who was deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, clears customs at the Al Asad Air Base Passenger Terminal in Iraq prior to departing for the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. Airman Boyd is assigned to the 633rd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. She deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Senior Airman Kristian Robles Cruz processes through customs at the Al Asad Air Base Passenger Terminal in Iraq, prior to departing for the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. He was deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, and is assigned to the 633rd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Airman Cruz and his fellow service members deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Senior Airman Kristian Robles Cruz, who was deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, gathers his bags at the Al Asad Air Base Passenger Terminal in Iraq prior to departing for the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. Airman Cruz is assigned to the 633rd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. He deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Staff Sgt. Luis Bermudez, who was deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, carries his bags through customs at the Al Asad Air Base Passenger Terminal in Iraq prior to departing for the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. Sergeant Bermudez and his fellow service members were deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, prepare for their flight to the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Backpacks belonging to U.S. service members sit on the flight line at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2011, while the troops load luggage onto the aircraft that will bring them back to the U.S. They service members were deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members board an aircraft on the Al Asad Air Base flight line Nov. 1, 2011, that will bring them back to the U.S. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Tech. Sgt. Matthew Moxley, who was deployed with the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, prepares for his flight to the U.S. from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2011. Sergeant Mokley and his fellow service members deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy to the U.S.

U.S. service members prepare for their flight to the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011, while parked on the Al Asad Air Base flight line in Iraq. The group was deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)

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Service members redeploy back to the U.S.

Published Nov. 7, 2011
By MSgt Cecilio Ricardo
9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force

Iraq -- Service members redeploy from Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, to the U.S. on Nov. 1, 2011. They were deployed in support of Operation New Dawn and helped create a more stable, sovereign and self-reliant Iraq. The U.S. military is on track to honor its commitment to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement and redeploy the remaining 33,000 troops by Dec. 31, 2011. At the height of the surge in 2007, there were 165,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This drawdown is one of the largest military operations since World War II.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.

Service members redeploy to the U.S.