Only 8,000 U.S. troops left in Iraq

After nearly nine years of war, the U.S. is getting out of Iraq. Just 8,000 troops remain at five bases, down from 170,000 spread out over more than 500 bases in 2007. All will leave by the end of the month.

CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod met some of them at Camp Kalsu, and found their work is far from over.

At Camp Kalso Army base, 60 miles south of Baghdad, soldiers of the 1st Brigade, First Cavalry, are making their final checks. It won't be long now before they load up and move out.

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Lt. Justin Lucas will command 100 soldiers and 20 vehicles when they pull out. In 2003, Lucas was among the first soldiers into Iraq. Now he'll be among the last to leave, and is trying to keep things business as usual for his unit.

"I think they are all excited to be getting out of here, but they're all still very focused. They understand that there is a real threat," Lucas said.

These soldiers are preparing for their last mission in Iraq, and even though it will just be a nine hour drive to Kuwait - assuming all goes well - they'll still be a high profile target for anyone wanting to take one last shot at the United States.

"They would love nothing more than to bloody us up on the way out and they can show that to people and say: 'Look, we ran off the Americans,'" Lucas said.

That is why soldiers who've been clerks, or cooks, or fuel handlers are suddenly getting intensive training on skills they may need to get home alive.

Justin Lucas left the Army right after the invasion to go back to college, and regretted it immediately when he realized he couldn't help out when the fighting was at its fiercest.

"If I could, I would have been here in 2006, 2007... when it really got hot," Lucas said.

He re-enlisted as soon as he got his degree, then pushed to go back to Iraq. As he prepares to leave, he's thinking of five Army buddies - Justin, Jason, Damien, Pierre, Jose - five soldiers killed in Iraq.

"I guess if I think about them it's mostly to wonder if their sacrifice was justified," Lucas said, adding that he still doesn't know the answer.

Chances are, Lt. Lucas won't be the only soldier weighing that very serious question on the way out of Iraq.

[kenknight49]

A song I wrote for our soldiers, "I'll Be Coming Home," sung by Alan Stafford, can be heard at www.youtube.com/kenknightphoto

[oldman67]

Don't worry, they will show up in Africa or even Iran soon. We wouldn't want to stop the global conquest of the American Empire.

[cattiej]

Bring our troops home, all of them. Do it today. You can leave the greedy contractors over there and they can pay their own way back. This war was unjust and thousands died, thanks to George Bush, Dick Chaney, Karl Rove and others who have never really served but sent other's to die for thier cause. I wonder if George Bush has nightmares at night like many of the men and women who served in this unjust war. Now, I read that many of them are back home and can't find jobs..let's hear from some of you returning Vets and really hear how you feel. I know this is a volunteer military but surely you didn't volunteer to leave your country, and die in some country that hates us even today. Bring our troops home from all these areas and station them all along the borders of the United States of America. You swear an oath to protect our country and you can't do that if your stationed over in Iraq, Afghanastan or someday Pakistan. You need to be stationed along the borders of the United States of America be they North,South, East of West.

[RavensV]

Mr. Axelrod. It is Kalsu. Not Kalso. The base is named after a former Buffalo Bill that was killed in Vietnam in 1970.

[antoniof123]

Good job Mr. President get them out and you have my vote.

[RavensV]

If only all would be home as he promised.

[armywife_2-5Cav]

FYI: The guys they are talking about are NOT comming home. They get to stay in Kuwait for months. Not quite what we were hoping for when the President said they would "All be home by Christmas." But with the ARMY we know that nothing is for sure, even a statement like that by the President, until it happens. Now we're just waiting for the time they get to Kuwait so we can relax a little!

[AOCGUY]

David, how about you quit being the repeater. Clearly you are looking this stuff up rather than having lived it. 1) the Academys and ROTC are not the only paths to being commissioned. 2) If you had bothered to read the article you would have picked up on the fact that LT Lucas first went to Iraq as an enlisted soldier, returned home in 2003 to attend college, and came back into the service AFTER getting his commission, probably through OCS. And unless he has been commissioned for 4 or more years he would not have made CPT yet but he could clearly have 4-5 years on the ground in Iraq. As for your fictional MAJ, he might have no time in theater - not everyone deploys you know?

My suspicion is that you have no time in uniform nor do you know anyone that does. In fact I strongly suspect you are a 14 year old wannabe.

[formerusmcsgt1]

We shou'd have never sent one warrior there in the first place.

Only an idiot could think that taking out Saddam was worth 2 trillion dollars and 4,000 wasted American warriors.

[rwsmith29456]

Iraq is a backwater. Do what needs (or can) be done in Afghanistan and get out of there too.

[rightbehind]

Here's the article friends. The Chinese had the oil before the shrub left office. I'm not going to try and fabricate some kind of history to cover republican tracks so here it is. Pay attention to the date on the article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html

[RichZubaty]

Hallelujah!