Q: Which achievements do you see as solid? What has to happen next?

A: Our personal relationships with the Iraqi people are solid. They love American soldiers. This is a significant achievement – it’s important that we don’t let them down.

Q: Any single incident that sticks in your mind from this tour of duty?

A: I put it in a dispatch to our families last April. We often hand out soccer balls and backpacks filled with paper, crayons and so forth. A child came up to one of our B Troop NCOs and slipped him a handwritten note in English:

Dear Sir,

We ask your help and support us. We want to tell you there is no electricity in this neighborhood about six months ago and we suffer a lot. People here scare to go to al Dura station and ask there and there is no direction just you. Will you make us a favor it to help the citizens of this neighborhood. With appreciation . . .

The boy slipped back into the crowd of other kids. In my own personal interaction with the people here, I do find that they really believe we can do anything.”