Friday marked seven years since the start of the war in Iraq, a milestone marked with little fanfare.
The U.S.-led invasion on March 19, 2003, prompted sectarian violence that escalated across the country as roadside bombs and other insurgent attacks increased casualties.
Since the start of the war, an estimated 2.2 million Iraqis have fled their country.
Violence increased until a combination of an American troop surge in early 2007 and deals brokered with sectarian leaders helped reduce attacks.
In 2009, President Barack Obama set a timetable to draw down troop levels in the country from more than 140,000 at the time to less than 45,000 by August of this year and no troops in the country by August 2011.
Nationwide Iraqi elections on March 7 saw a 62 percent turnout, despite attacks that killed 38 people.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press sat down with several local veterans to talk about the Iraq conflict, their experiences while deployed and their thoughts on the war as it comes to a close.
Staff Sgt. Michael Hackney, 36
* Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
Staff Sgt. Hackney first went to Iraq from May 2005 to October 2005 with Kilo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines. On his second tour, he went with Chattanooga-based Mike Battery, 3rd Battalion 14th Marines in western Iraq.
"For me, the best day is the day that my vehicle got hit by an IED. It was destroyed. The reason I say that is we had a piece of shrapnel that was about the size of an iPhone come shredding through the vehicle, bounced off four walls inside the vehicle and, of all five people that were inside the Humvee, no one got hurt. ... We were actually able to get out of the vehicle, find the trigger man, point him out and get him. We were actually able to get ahold of him and arrest him and send him to jail and he's actually, I do believe, still in jail.
"The worst day ... was a really bad day. I lost six guys over there during my whole tour and the one day where I lost two of them, I was actually tasked with going and collecting their remains after their vehicle was blown up. And it was kind of two-part because I knew them personally, but then when we got back, actually seeing their moms and dads and the wives and actually being able to talk with them ... those were two pretty rough days for me out of the whole deployment.
"I'd really like to see them be a stand-alone country, be a democracy over there, I really would. Just because of so much effort and time we've put into that country. ... I think it's gonna be a long time."
Sgt. Pedro Gonzalez, 39
* Hometown: Cleveland, Tenn.
Sgt. Gonzalez first deployed to Iraq with the 278th from November 2004 to November 2005. His second tour was with the 1/181st from 2007 to 2008.
"There was this sunrise where you could see the whole -- I mean it looked like infinity, it looked like the horizon just went on forever, the sky, too. And it was just such a beautiful sight. ... And I don't think I'll ever forget it, it was just great. But then, of course, an hour later we're prepping for a mission and that moment's over.
"The worst day that I could possibly think of was the day that we heard three explosions. ... And I remember we brought back this woman and child. And we were trying to save the mother, the child was hurt but he wasn't hurt that bad. ... I walked outside. ... I realized there were all these bodies outside of the medic area. ... I remember kneeling next to this one man who had pieces of metal melted into his skin and I remember touching him and I remember crying because we couldn't stop it. But I mean it's war, you know, you can't control war. ... There were some of our interpreters that were praying over their bodies. And I remember looking up at one of my interpreters, Samir, and I guess just trying to find an answer for what just happened ... he just gave me a look, he didn't know what to say. And all I kept thinking, 'Who's gonna tell this little boy that his mother died?'
"But I hope that by watching us and I hope that we as a country and as soldiers have been a good example, not only in combat, in valor, but in humility, understanding. That we give them a good example that they can have that, it is obtainable. I think it's possible, I think it truly is possible, but it's like everything else, you gotta want it that much."
Sgt. Faith West, 22
* Hometown: Chattanooga
Sgt. West deployed with the 1/181st from 2007 to 2008.
"The hardest times were calling home and getting bad news or something aggravating or just a bad phone call, and that just made the rest of the day go by a little slower and anticipating when was the next time you were going to get to talk to the person back home.
"Where I was stationed at Camp Bucca, other units and contractors were building all new places for us to live as well as improving the cells for the detainees and really fixing up everything that was there. ... To me it was pointless for us to do all that, and now it's just gone and done. So I think a lot of money was wasted on trying to fix that up for us to have better facilities and better living and better housing and now nobody is even there."
Sgt. Gregory Cosby, 23
* Hometown: Chattanooga
Sgt. Cosby deployed with the Chattanooga-based Tennessee Army National Guard 1/181st Field Artillery Battalion from 2007 to 2008. He currently is with the Guard's 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Iraq.
"Before the elections, it was kind of quiet, and during the elections we didn't see too much of anything. But after the elections, it's like the population is trying to come out.
"As we do missions, we notice the attitude change. The population, they're trying to become more friendly, they're trying to wave more. But you've still got those certain ones that don't really want us here. But I think it's kind of turned for the good.
"A really good day is when you get to sleep. The best day here is a day without drama.
"Right now, as we draw down, I see the Iraqi police and Iraqi Army, they do these checkpoints. They seem to be doing a very good job at it. They don't take slack from their own population, so I think, as we leave, if they keep their A game going, I think they'll be all right."
Spc. Kara Hawke, 21
* Hometown: Chattanooga
Spc. Hawke currently is deployed to Iraq with the 278th. This is her first deployment.
"Well, I guess what I thought I was going to see from all the stories that I was told, that there's, you know, mortars every day, something happens every day. Since we've been here, I really haven't seen any of that. We go out on convoys, and most of the time they would just wave. It's really nothing major really happens anymore.
"I guess they're still going to need a little help from us. But I don't think that we'll have to be here in such a great force. So I'd really just like to see it to where there wasn't but just one base here and kind of just helping out whenever we needed to and let the country do it's own thing."