Iraq: As US military leaves Iraq, much is forever changed

The last convoy of US soldiers in Iraq has crossed the border into Kuwait in ending a nine-year long conflict and occupation in that country. The withdrawal occurs just in time for Christmas.

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT (Catholic Online) - Under the cover of darkness on Sunday morning, a convoy of 100 US military vehicles transporting about 500 troops, stole across the desert and into Kuwait. Just after 7:30 AM local time, the last vehicle crossed safely.

The end of the conflict leaves almost 4,500 troops dead, and tens of thousands wounded. Many more will carry invisible but still quite real psychological wounds suffered from years of conflict and trauma.

An untold number of Iraqis have also been left dead, injured, and traumatized by the near decade of conflict in reconstruction.

And while the conflict may be over for the US, domestic strife continues in Iraq.

The withdrawal was relatively quiet, and a stark contrast to the 2003 invasion. In 2003, a patriotic fervor swept the United States as then President George W. Bush ordered airstrikes and an all out attack on Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The US led effort quickly toppled Saddam Hussein, who hid for a number of weeks before he was finally captured. Eventually, the dictator was brought to justice for his crimes and put to death. 

Although formal hostilities in the country came to a relatively swift end, real fighting continued for years as anti-American insurgent groups attacked US forces and friendly Iraqis at every opportunity. Suicide bombings, car bombings, roadside bombings, sniper attacks, and kidnappings were routinely employed by insurgents bent on doing harm to Americans and their allies. 

The conflict also changed the way the United States trains its troops and fights wars.

Until 2003, the US military was largely prepared to fight large-scale, formal wars against well-equipped and technologically sophisticated enemies. The war on terror, and the conflict in Iraq forced the military to quickly adapt. Instead of a large-scale set piece conflict, US forces had to deal with urban combat situations against loosely organized but sophisticated insurgents. 

In addition to the human legacy of the conflict, a substantial technological legacy carries on. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles, some the size of large aircraft, and others so small they can be carried by a single soldier and deployed into combat, are one of the most well-known products have been thoroughly tested and proven during the conflict.

So far, it does not appear that the military will be changing its strategy. The hard learned lessons of Iraq, are still being put to use in Afghanistan. As the United States works to draw down its efforts in Afghanistan, the specter of conflict in other countries such as Syria, Iran, and Pakistan continues to loom.

But hopefully, for the hundreds of thousands of US troops who gave years of their lives in Iraq, may it be that all war and the threat of war, is at an end.

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