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15th Anniversary of the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom


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Vehicles from the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division rumble down a road north into Iraq. The Convoy has been moving for two days now on their drive north to take down the Iraqi regime. Up until this point the convoy has received little enemy contact. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Lance Cpl. Steven Lopez, 19, with Battery M, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment from Los Angeles, CA carries two charges for a 155mm howitzer during a ammunition resupply at an artillery position in southern Iraq on March 22, 2003. 03/22/2003 ( Jud McCrehin/Marine Corps Times)
Marines from Battery M, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment fire a 155mm Howitzer towards Iraqi military positions in Al Kut, Iraq . ( Jud McCrehin/Marine Corps Times)
Capt. "KC" from the 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, was able to fly her battle damaged A-10 Warthog safely back from a close air support mission over Baghdad with serious damage caused by anti- aircraft fire that hit the tail section, cutting her hydraulic controls. She landed at a forward air base in a country near Iraq. She is from the 23rd Fighter Group from Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.(Alan Lessig/Air Force Times)
Members of the 101st Airborne (Air Assault)'s 2/502, PFC Jake Hvarde, 20, from Amboy, IL, helps PFC Dayne Eitel, 19, from Chico CA, as they wait for their flight at Camp New York, Kuwait, on Tuesday (3/18/03) at 1530. (Rob Curtis/Army Times)
Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) engage in block-to-block urban combat in the streets of Karbala, Saturday, April 5. (Rob Curtis/Army Times)
Sgt. Daniel Wiser, 25, of Waukesha, WI,yells to his section to haul ass back to the landing zone as he talks to the Blackhawk pilots before reboarding the plane as soldiers inspect vehicles in Mosul Wednesday, 4/30/03. The headquarters mortars, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) section is using the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to conduct searches to locate and shut down black market activity in the third largest city in Iraq. (Rob Curtis/Army Times)
A major assault was launched last night by the 3rd Infantry Division as the division makes it way towards Baghdad on 04/03/03 about 20km south of Baghdad, Iraq. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
An A-10 conducts flight operations from an undisclosed middle eastern air base, flying towards Iraq in support of coalition forces on Saturday March 29, 2003. (Alan Lessig/Air Force Times)
Members of Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) go room to room, clearing the local Baath Party Headquarters in Al Kifl Sunday, 3/30/03 (3pm). The soldiers found documents, weapons, and full grain bags hidden inside the walled compound. (Rob Curtis/Army Times)
US. Army Soldiers from the 773 Transportation Company pulled their fuel tanker up to a large Saddam Icon so that they could write graffiti on the face. Several members of the company are New York Police and Firemen, and they had personal messages to write on the icon. This was located at Tallil air base in Southern Iraq. (Alan Lessig/Army Times)
Staff Sgt.. Anthony Pieske, left, door gunner on HH-60 Pavehawk, mans gun next to pararescueman Master Sgt. David Armstrong, right, while flying a search and rescue flight over southern Iraq on Monday. (Alan Lessig/Air Force Times)
PFC Joseph DeWitt, 26, from Suffock County, Ny, runs while carrying a young Iraqi boy who was injured during a heavy batle between the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi forces near the village of Al Faysaliyah, Iraq. The Cavalry spent the entire night fighting through the areas and within the city of Al Faysaliyah. The U.S. took no casualties while the Iraqis took estimated 150 casualties inflicted by the Cavalry on March 25, 2003. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Major Brad Gavle, 39 from Decorah, Iowa of the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment takes a moment during a pause in combat to hit a golf ball into the Euphrates River on April 3, 2003, 20km south of Baghdad, Iraq. A major assault was launched last night by the 3rd Infantry Division as the division makes it way towards Baghdad. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Capt. James McGahey, 29, from Brighton, MI, commander of the "Bulldogs", Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) covers an intersection as A1C Larry Hickey, 28, Waynesville, MO, Enlisted Terminal Attack Controller (ETAC) (foward air strike controllers) with the 19th Air Support Operations Squadron, passes behind as US servicemen continue to clear the city of militia and weapons Sunday, 4/6/03. (11:00) The US forces in Karbala have found numerous, large weapons chaches in schools and municipal buildings. (Rob Curtis/Army Times)
Soldiers from the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment, watch on as a bomb from an F-16 blows up what was a headquarters for the Iraqi's that were fighting them. The troops have been operating around As Samawah for almost two days now and have been facing some strong resistance from the fighters inside. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
First Sgt. Kent Fuller from the 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at an undisclosed air base in the middle east, waves his "retirement Flag" at departing aircraft headed for Iraq. He is from the 31st Fighter Squadron in Aviano, Italy. He got his deployment orders and his retirment orders on the same day so he got this flag to cheer on the pilots during his final deployment. (Alan Lessig/Air Force Times)
The remains of an Iraqi tank burns in a ditch Friday afternoon in southern iraq on March 23, 2003 near a USMC artillery fighting position. (Jud Mccrehin/Marine Corps Times
Staff Sgt. Dan Hunter, from Georgia, a member of a U.S. Air Force Global Airfield Assesment Team (GAAT) from McGuire AFB in New Jersey, checks to make sure that an Iraqi armored vehical was clear while surveying a captured Iraqi Helicopter/Air Base on the outskirts of Kirkuk. The GAAT team measured and tested the quality of the runways and parking ramps to see if they could support the weight of heavy aircraft for use by the US military. (Alan Lessig/Air Force Times)
Troops from the U.S. Army's 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment watch as a target inside the village of As Samawah, Iraq goes up in flames. The Cavalry is in the process of taking the village and is receiving some resistance from fighters inside. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Troops from the U.S. Army's 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment on the move during invasion of Iraq on April 2, 2003. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Staff Sgt. Todd Morton, 27, from Cohoes, NY, looks through documents and maps found after 2nd platoon, bravo company, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Divison (Air Assault) occupied a hastily abandoned residence during the Brigade's southern movement toward the city of An Najaf, Wednesday, 4/2/03. The infantry company searched several buildings turning up uniforms, communication equipment and gas masks, vehicles , dozens of small and large caliber weapons, RPGs, US style uniforms and other personal items, as well as uncovering at least two BM21, a Russian made Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). (Rob Curtis/Army Times)
03/22/2003 Images shot in southern Iraq Photo by Jud McCrehin/Marine Corps Times Lance Cpl. Guilbert Alce, 23, with battery M, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment takes a nap in his sleeping hole near the 155mm Howitzer he works as a powder man on in an artillery position in southern Iraq.
ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK - MARCH 20, 2003 - Loaded with missiles and bombs, an F/A-18 Hornet from Strike Fighter Squadron 192 catapults off the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk during an early afternoon launch. Eight Hornets, including some from VFA-192 and two F-14 Tomcats from Fighter Squadron 154, flying off the Kitty Hawk hit targets in southeastern Iraq March 19 in response to Iraqi provocation. Still flying under "Operation Southern Watch, allied aircraft spent Thursday softening targets during the transition to "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Times Staff Photo by Mark D. Faram
03/23/03 As Samawah, Iraq A tank from the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment, stands guard to the entrance of the town of As Samawah, as smoke billows in the background from a weapons depot struck in the city. The Cavalry has been fighting in and around the town for more than 48 hours, facing at times strong resistence from the fighters inside. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
An Iraqi surrenders to Soldiers from 3rd ID. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
03/24/03 As Samawah, Iraq Soldiers from the Headquarter's element of the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment co-ordinate the battle from their makeshift Tactical Operations Center, just outside the city of As Samawah. The Cavalry has been fighting in and around the town for more than 48 hours, facing at times strong resistance from the more than 1,500 fighters inside. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Lance Cpl. Alfredo Martinez, 21, from Lindsay, CA with battery M, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment with fellow Marines patrol outside the artillery position in central Iraq to make sure it is safe for the artillery convey to head to another area on March 26, 2003. (Jud McCrehin/Marine Corps Times)
Vehicles from the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division, 3rd Brigade rumble along an access road to highway 10 enroute to the Northwestern side of the city, to complete the encirclement of Baghdad. The 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment has had some fierce fighting on highway 10 over the last two days, killing close to 1000 Iraqi soldiers in vehicles ranging from tanks to buses loaded with explosives. The Cavalry's job was to secure the highway and allow safe pasage of the rest of the 3rd Brigade. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
U.S. Army Pvt. Troy King, from Denver, Colorado, mans a .50 cal machine gun on his humve while escorting members of a U.S. Air Force Global Airfield Assesment Team (GAAT) from McGuire AFB in New Jersey. King is from the 173rd, 1st of the 508, who gave the GAAT added security as they convoyed from Karkuk Air Base to K-1, another Iraqi military airfield on the outskirts of Karkuk. Once there, the GAAT team measured and tested the quality of the runways and parking ramps to see if they could support the weight of heavy aircraft. (Alan Lessig/Air Force Times)
Villagers from the village of As Samawah walk past U.S. Army 7th Cavalry positions outside the city, as smoke billows in the background from a weapons depot struck in the city. The Cavalry has been fighting in and around the town for more than 48 hours, facing at times strong resistence from the fighters inside. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Cpt. Bill Brown, 34 of Savannah, Ga takes advantage of a pause in action to find a quiet place to pray. Brown is with the U.S. Army's 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. The Cavalry is currently holding a blocking position in the south of Baghdad to control all traffic moving in and out of the city. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
Medical personel of the U.S. Army 86th Combat Support Hospital located at Tallil air base in Southern Iraq, change the dressings on a wounded Iraqi civilian. Spec. Brian Herndon,left, from Carlsbad, NM, 1st Lt. Dave Allen, middle right, from Columbus OH, and Spec. James Shead, right, from Austin Texas care for the wounded. (Alan Lessig/Army Times)
Baghdad, Iraq 07/09/03 Soldiers with 2nd Bat., 3rd Field Art. Regiment, 1st A.D. take some down time to go swimming in the pool at their resdience, Uday Hussein's old palace. While some of the buildings are destroyed the rest are occupied by soldiers, with soldiers living in every available space in the compund. (Warren Zinn/Army Times)
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