U.S. Army SGT. Joshua Swainston of D Company, 1-502nd Infantry Battalion, 101st Airborne Division conducts hip-pocket training with Iraqi U.S. Army Soldiers at an Iraqi Army Traffic Control Point (TCP) near Mahmudiyah, Iraq. The class was part of a platoon patrol of the area on April 13, 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Army photo by U.S. Army SGT.. 1ST Class David D. Isakson) (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.