A California Army National Guard M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank from Bravo Company, 1ST Battalion, 185th Armor, 81st Armor Brigade, conducts an area reconnaissance on Sept. 6, 2004 around Balad, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The area recon is to deny anti-Iraqi forces the freedom to operate and move throughout the countryside. (U.S. Air Force photo by STAFF Sergeant Shane A. Cuomo) (Released)

Iraq War aka Operation IRAQI FREEDOM was the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, under the code-name "Operation Iraqi Freedom". 248,000 soldiers from the United States, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers and 194 Polish soldiers from Special Forces unit GROM sent to Kuwait for the invasion. The invasion force was also supported by Iraqi Kurdish militia troops, estimated to number upwards of 70,000.