I'm currently in the brigade responsible for Baghdad and was here during the "end of combat operations". The funny thing is we ended up in more direct fire engagements post 1 September than are previous 9 months in theater. Soldiers are still getting wounded and receiving Purple Hearts. IEDs continue to be the biggest threat and, for those who earn them, Soldiers receive CIBs/CABs. We still draw hostile fire pay and the enemy is doing everything they can to inflict harm, regardless of the date. Apparently they never received the memo to stop their combat operations on 1 September.

I would argue that combat operations have not ended. Instead, the focus has shifted from combat operations to the primary mission being Advise and Assist. We are a little different, however, since we trained as, were resourced for, and arrived in theater as an AAB almost a year ago. Our mission has always been advise and assist since day 1. For us, 1 September looked like every other day we've been in theater, working with our ISF partners.

What I think we did by declaring the end of combat operations, however, was to open an information operations seam for the enemy to exploit. Every firefight, every wounded U.S. Soldier, contradicts the misleading statement that combat operations are at an end.