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Hussein Ali Hussein (right), the Habbaniyah District Mayor, Ali Dawood (center), the Chairman of the Habbaniyah City Council and Kevin Anderson (left), a representative from the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team – Ramadi, cut the ceremonious ribbon at the Habbaniyah Government Center’s grand opening, Oct. 25. The government center has been four months in the making and is now complete, standing as a symbol of a representative government taking hold in the area. - Hussein Ali Hussein (right), the Habbaniyah District Mayor, Ali Dawood (center), the Chairman of the Habbaniyah City Council and Kevin Anderson (left), a representative from the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team – Ramadi, cut the ceremonious ribbon at the Habbaniyah Government Center’s grand opening, Oct. 25. The government center has been four months in the making and is now complete, standing as a symbol of a representative government taking hold in the area.

Staff Sgt. Andrew Stitt (center), a Corporals Leadership Course instructor and the assistant radio chief with Task Force 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, explains proper drill techniques to a group of corporals Oct. 17. Marines learned how to use the historic Marine Corps NCO Sword and how to drill a squad-sized formation. - Staff Sgt. Andrew Stitt (center), a Corporals Leadership Course instructor and the assistant radio chief with Task Force 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, explains proper drill techniques to a group of corporals Oct. 17. Marines learned how to use the historic Marine Corps NCO Sword and how to drill a squad-sized formation.

Lance Cpl. Michael Aylward, 24, of Hanover, Mass., gives a stuffed animal to a boy while on patrol in Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 21. Aylward, a recent graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut, is an infantryman with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5. - Lance Cpl. Michael Aylward, 24, of Hanover, Mass., gives a stuffed animal to a boy while on patrol in Rutbah, Iraq, Oct. 21. Aylward, a recent graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut, is an infantryman with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5.

1st Lt. Patrick C. Holland, 24, a platoon commander with Combined Anti-Armor Team Blue, Task Force 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, from Waco, Texas, flips a truck during a CrossFit competition at Camp Hit, Iraq, Oct. 24. During each event, the Marines pushed themselves and each other to the limit with every exercise so they could defeat the opposing team.::r::::n:: - 1st Lt. Patrick C. Holland, 24, a platoon commander with Combined Anti-Armor Team Blue, Task Force 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, from Waco, Texas, flips a truck during a CrossFit competition at Camp Hit, Iraq, Oct. 24. During each event, the Marines pushed themselves and each other to the limit with every exercise so they could defeat the opposing team.::r::::n::

An engineer with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, scans for weapons caches in northern Karmah near the company’s rural outpost, Oct. 22. Marines there have been finding weapons caches almost daily. - An engineer with Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, scans for weapons caches in northern Karmah near the company’s rural outpost, Oct. 22. Marines there have been finding weapons caches almost daily.

Lt. Col. Andrew Milburn, commanding officer, Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, speaks to Marines of Company B, 1st Bn., 3rd Marines, during their observance of the Marine Corps’ 233rd birthday in Karmah, Iraq, Nov. 10. - Lt. Col. Andrew Milburn, commanding officer, Task Force 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, speaks to Marines of Company B, 1st Bn., 3rd Marines, during their observance of the Marine Corps’ 233rd birthday in Karmah, Iraq, Nov. 10.

Navy Lt. Malcolm Brown, the battalion surgeon with Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, interviews a sailor about his Post Deployment Health Assessment answers at Rawah, Iraq, Oct. 19. "Everyone is required to do (a PDHA) to identify any illnesses or injuries that may have been caused while deployed," said Chief Petty Officer, Darryl Rice, senior medical department representative with the Battalion Aid Station, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines.::r::::n:: - Navy Lt. Malcolm Brown, the battalion surgeon with Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5, interviews a sailor about his Post Deployment Health Assessment answers at Rawah, Iraq, Oct. 19. "Everyone is required to do (a PDHA) to identify any illnesses or injuries that may have been caused while deployed," said Chief Petty Officer, Darryl Rice, senior medical department representative with the Battalion Aid Station, 2nd Bn., 2nd Marines.::r::::n::

An Iraqi boy holds his pencils and looks to see what else the Iraqi Army will be giving at an elementary school in Khasfah, Iraq, Oct. 21. Several organizations back in the states sent school supplies to the Marines with the Baghdadi Military in Transition Team, which is assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Iraqi Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division. The Marines then turned them over to the IA to be distributed to schools. - An Iraqi boy holds his pencils and looks to see what else the Iraqi Army will be giving at an elementary school in Khasfah, Iraq, Oct. 21. Several organizations back in the states sent school supplies to the Marines with the Baghdadi Military in Transition Team, which is assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Iraqi Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division. The Marines then turned them over to the IA to be distributed to schools.

U.S. Marines assigned to Weapons Company, Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan, fire a mortar round during combat operations here. - U.S. Marines assigned to Weapons Company, Task Force 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan, fire a mortar round during combat operations here.

Lance Cpl. David Phillip Years (left) and his brother, Lance Cpl. Christopher William Years, reunited after a long hiatus Oct. 3 at Combat Outpost Akashat in Iraqâ??s western al-Anbar province. Both reserve Marines, Davidâ??s home unit is Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Quantico, Va. Christopher is a member of Fox Co., 4th LAR Bn., in Eastover, S.C., which is serving in Iraq as part of 1st LAR Bn., Regimental Combat Team 5, an active duty unit based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.::r::::n:: - Lance Cpl. David Phillip Years (left) and his brother, Lance Cpl. Christopher William Years, reunited after a long hiatus Oct. 3 at Combat Outpost Akashat in Iraqâ??s western al-Anbar province. Both reserve Marines, Davidâ??s home unit is Delta Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion in Quantico, Va. Christopher is a member of Fox Co., 4th LAR Bn., in Eastover, S.C., which is serving in Iraq as part of 1st LAR Bn., Regimental Combat Team 5, an active duty unit based at Camp Pendleton, Calif.::r::::n::