The Battle for Ramadi Part 2: House by House

Into the Urban Inferno

The Arrival of Reinforcements and the Stakes in Ramadi

By mid-2006, Ramadi had devolved into one of the most lethal battlegrounds of the Iraq War. The city, long plagued by insurgent activity, had now fully collapsed into chaos. Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) fighters roamed freely through entire districts, using the city’s ruined infrastructure as both shield and weapon. Coalition troops were not launching a conventional assault—they were wading into an urban labyrinth where the enemy had every advantage.

Units such as 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment (1-36 IN) from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division (1st BCT, 1AD), and 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines (3/8) from the 2nd Marine Division spearheaded efforts to reassert U.S. control. For these soldiers and Marines, Ramadi was not a front line. It was a minefield disguised as a city—a war zone without boundaries, where danger lurked behind every shattered wall.

U.S. Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment run through a street Wednesday, April 19, 2006, in Ramadi, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad (AP)

"Every Day a Gunfight": The Reality of Urban COIN

Patrols rolled out every morning under a blistering sun, met almost instantly by small arms fire, RPGs, and the omnipresent threat of IEDs. 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6) and 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment (1-9 IN) quickly discovered that Ramadi’s streets offered no safe passage. Insurgents executed complex attacks with tactical coordination—initiating contact with a sniper or roadside bomb, then flanking Coalition forces with suppressing fire from abandoned buildings.

Troops operated from hardened Combat Outposts (COPs) and Observation Posts (OPs), many of which were under near-constant siege. COPs like Falcon, VA, and OP Hawk became both sanctuary and trap—safe havens by night, bullet magnets by day. For many soldiers in 1-36 IN, every trip outside the wire felt like walking into a buzz saw.

House by House, Room by Room

Ramadi’s battle rhythm was defined by block-clearing operations: methodical, brutal, and unrelenting. 3/8 Marines, conducting operations in the city’s central neighborhoods, advanced street by street, often fighting from rooftops and basements. Combat engineers would breach homes with explosives or sledgehammers, clearing each room under the threat of booby traps or ambush.

M1 Abrams tanks from Company D, 1-37 Armor and Bradley Fighting Vehicles from 1- 6 Infantry provided overwatch and direct fire support, blasting insurgent strongholds into rubble when small arms fire failed to dislodge the enemy. But firepower alone couldn’t win Ramadi. It took grit, repetition, and constant presence. Progress was measured in buildings held—not in blocks taken.

U.S. Marines and Army soldiers Sgt. First Class Shawn Havens and Staff Sgt. Richard Luciano from 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 16th Engineer Battalion take cover from small-arms fire while investigating the cause of a suicide car bomb explosion in Tameem, Ramadi, Iraq, Aug. 10, 2006.

The Heat, the Dust, and the Fatigue of Constant Contact

The environmental conditions were punishing. Summer temperatures soared past 120°F, baking soldiers inside their Kevlar and body armor. Debris, broken glass, and scorched concrete blanketed the streets. The air was thick with the stench of refuse and rot, occasionally punctuated by the acrid sting of gunpowder.

Snipers haunted the open ground between buildings. Insurgents zeroed in on habitual routes and supply convoys. Even standing still invited fire. Medical evacuation helicopters were frequent visitors to U.S. positions, often drawing fire themselves as they extracted wounded troops from exposed alleyways.

No Rear, No Rest

In Ramadi, there was no such thing as a secure rear area. Mortar attacks, suicide bombings, and complex assaults hit even the most fortified bases. Troops at Camp Ramadi and Camp Corregidor lived under constant threat. For soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment (2-37 AR), days blurred together in a pattern of patrols, firefights, and funerals.

Sleep came in short bursts. Meals were often cold or skipped entirely. Letters from home were rare; connectivity was limited. And yet morale held steady—not due to comfort, but due to camaraderie. In Ramadi, survival depended on trust in your unit, in your squad, in the Marine or soldier at your side.

Sgt Nicholas R. Gibbs, Mortar Platoon, HHC, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment. Born August 9, 1981, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Killed in Action December 6, 2006, in Ramadi, Iraq, at age 25. Laid to rest at Guilford Memorial Park, Greensboro, NC

Life Inside the Wire

The Anatomy of a Combat Outpost

Ramadi’s battlefield was a mosaic of small, fortified positions scattered across a hostile city. These Combat Outposts — known as COPs or OPs — were established deep inside enemy territory to take and hold terrain block by block. COP Falcon, OP VA, and OP Hawk were among the most contested. Manned by units such as 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines and 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, these posts were surrounded on all sides by AQI-controlled zones. Troops fortified abandoned buildings with sandbags and HESCO barriers, often without running water or reliable electricity.

Living Conditions: Sandbags and Sandstorms

Conditions inside the wire were Spartan at best. Troops from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division and 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment endured 120-degree heat, erratic resupply, and constant exposure. Showers were a luxury, hot meals a rarity. Marines with Kilo and India Companies, 3/8, rotated guard shifts while baking on rooftops and scanning alleyways for muzzle flashes or suspicious movement. Sleep was scarce, always interrupted by the crack of small arms or the concussive thump of a mortar.

Spc. Anthony Black of the 101st Airborne scans for a sniper after gunfire hit a U.S. outpost in Ramadi, Iraq, June 20, 2006. Soldiers say sniper threats had grown deadlier in recent months, especially at night with insurgents using night-vision scopes (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)

Under Siege: Mortars, Snipers, and IEDs

No outpost was truly “safe.” Enemy contact was a daily certainty. COP Falcon, manned by elements of 1-36 Infantry, was shelled so frequently that troops took to sleeping in their body armor. Snipers harassed rooftop sentries. Patrols from the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines or the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines were met with coordinated ambushes using small arms, RPGs, and pre-planted IEDs. Even within the wire, danger lurked — insurgents probed perimeters and sometimes used children to test American responses.

Patrolling in a Kill Zone

Patrols were the core of counterinsurgency — and a gauntlet of hazards. Squad-sized elements stepped off from COPs to engage locals, hunt for weapons caches, or lure insurgents into fights. But the streets of Ramadi were lethal. Every intersection had to be cleared. Every pile of trash could hide a pressure plate. Marines from Weapons Platoon, 3/8 often led mobile reconnaissance, trading suppressive fire with insurgents hiding in minarets or second-story kill boxes. Coordination with 2/37 Armor’s Abrams tanks and 1AD’s Bradley Fighting Vehicles offered occasional relief — but the enemy was adaptive and bold.

A U.S. Army soldier with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division prepares to exit an M2 Bradley after a raid in Ramadi’s Tameem district, Sept. 3, 2006

Holding Ground with Grit

Despite the violence, troops held firm. The outposts gave U.S. forces permanent presence and denied AQI sanctuary in key neighborhoods. Daily contact with local Iraqis — even if hostile — yielded vital intelligence. Units like 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment and 1-37 Armor began mapping insurgent movement patterns. As they absorbed the rhythms of the city, these units turned reaction into initiative. It was slow, punishing work — but it planted the seeds of a turnaround.

IED Alley and the Kill Zones

Streets Paved with Traps

In Ramadi, the roads themselves were the enemy. The city’s arteries — from Route Michigan to side streets like “IED Alley” — were laced with explosives that turned every movement into a deadly wager. Insurgents from al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) had perfected a grim art: emplacing pressure-plate IEDs beneath chunks of asphalt, concealing tripwires in debris, and creating kill boxes where entire squads could be engulfed in coordinated blasts and ambushes.

On June 16 near Habbaniyah, Iraq, Marines from K Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines discovered IED materials and munitions in a car used by an insurgent sniper

The Front Line of Route Clearance

Into this crucible rode soldiers of the 1st Engineer Battalion, attached to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. These troops — “Sappers” — spearheaded the fight against hidden explosives. Using Buffalo and RG-31 vehicles equipped with robotic arms, they probed and dug for buried devices while under the watchful eyes of snipers and spotters.

The engineers were often the first to trigger contact, drawing fire while dismounted infantry covered flanks. Behind them rolled the infantrymen of the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, conducting cordon-and-search operations after blasts or ambushes. These missions demanded split-second reactions and unflinching nerve. A single misstep could mean catastrophic loss of life.

Patterns, Deception, and Adaptation

AQI fighters studied patrol habits relentlessly. When convoys followed the same routes or patterns, they were hit. The 1-36 Infantry, working in tandem with route clearance teams and military working dog handlers, began altering their methods. Convoys varied their movements. Foot patrols used rooftops, alleyways, and even canals to avoid road-bound kill zones.

Meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, rotated through western sectors of Ramadi, providing crucial relief and reinforcement. Their aggressive patrolling and fast reaction capabilities disrupted enemy patterns and bought breathing room for engineers to clear key routes.

Spc. Caleb Joye of Manning, South Carolina takes a smoke break on a rooftop in Ramadi, June 19, 2006. U.S. and Iraqi forces had just pushed into the city’s eastern sector—part of a campaign to reclaim neighborhoods long held by insurgents (AP Photo/Jacob Silberberg)

A Deadly Chess Match

Each day was a cat-and-mouse game played in blood and concrete. AQI employed decoys and secondary explosions. They’d set a low-yield device to lure troops, then detonate a larger bomb as reinforcements converged. Units like the 1-6 Infantry (often attached to 1st BCT, 1AD for operations) developed SOPs for blast sites: secure the area, overwatch rooftops, and scan for command wires or triggermen.

The 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, with its Bradleys and tanks, brought vital firepower when situations escalated — laying suppressive fire into ambush positions or breaching through compromised roads.

Steel and Shock: Tanks in the Streets

Bringing Abrams Power to House-to-House Fighting

In the tight urban grid of Ramadi, brute force became a necessity. By late April and into May 2006, commanders from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division (1/1 AD) began integrating M1A1 Abrams tanks into their house-clearing playbook. What began as infantry-only sweeps now had armored punch — and it changed the battle’s tempo.

1st Lt. Miguel Santana, 35, of Miami, Fla., with Bravo Company, 1-36 Infantry—attached to Warrior Company, 1-37 Armor—heads out on a cordon-and-search mission in Ramadi, Iraq (Monte Morin / Stars and Stripes)

1/37 Armor: The Iron Dukes Unleashed

Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment — part of the famed "Bandits" of 1/1 AD — played a crucial role in the shifting tactics. Based at Combat Outpost Falcon, the Iron Dukes operated with dismounted infantry from 2-6 Infantry in mixed columns, using Abrams tanks to blast holes through buildings harboring AQI fighters. The firepower shattered enemy morale, especially when paired with well-timed infantry assaults.

The Tank-Infantry Playbook

Operations now followed a brutal efficiency: infantry squads from units like 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment or the 506th Infantry Regiment would stack up at a breach point. Behind them, an Abrams would fire a main gun round into an upper floor or fortified window. Dismounted troops flooded in, clearing rooms, while tanks and Bradleys provided overwatch on outer roads. The coordination was complex — but lethal.

A destroyed M1A1 Abrams from 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment lies in the streets of Ramadi, 2006—struck by powerful improvised explosive devices during intense urban combat

Shock Value: Breaking AQI’s Strongholds

This combined-arms approach shocked insurgents who had become used to lightly armed patrols. Tanks rolled down streets once owned by snipers. OPs like Hawk and VA gained breathing room. AQI positions in neighborhoods like Sophia and the Industrial Area — long held no-go zones — began to fall. The psychological impact of a tank’s presence couldn’t be overstated; many locals later admitted the tide shifted once tanks came in force.

Close Air and Quick Reaction

When armor couldn’t reach, close air support filled the gap. Forward air controllers embedded with Marine units from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines (3/8) or the Army's 2-6 Infantry could call in F-16s or AH-1 Cobras to suppress RPG nests or destroy enemy safe houses. Precision munitions became a standard tool in the Ramadi toolbox.

Lance Cpl. Sebastian M. Molnar, 30, of K Company, 3/8 Marines, scales a wall after a patrol near the Government Center in western Ramadi, May 16, 2006. The mission aimed to assess battle damage and disrupt insurgent activity targeting Coalition and Iraqi forces

A New Phase of Fighting

The use of armor and airpower didn’t eliminate danger, but it leveled the playing field. Every streetfight no longer favored the ambusher. 1/1 AD’s mix of combined arms, dismounted grit, and tactical evolution marked a turning point. Ramadi remained deadly — but no longer uncontested.

OP VA and the Turning Point

A Tiny Outpost Becomes the Tip of the Spear

In early 2005, a cluster of concrete buildings near the intersection of Route Michigan and Route Corvette was transformed into a makeshift combat outpost: Observation Post VA. It was placed deliberately deep in AQI-controlled territory, isolated but critical. Manned primarily by soldiers from 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (1-506th), 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, it would become one of the most heavily contested positions in Ramadi.

Spc. Carlos Garcia of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry scans the streets of Ramadi from a U.S. observation post, March 30, 2006 (Todd Pitman/AP)

Life Under Siege

Daily life at OP VA was a test of will. The outpost endured relentless mortar and RPG attacks. Sniper fire from nearby buildings turned even short movements into deadly risks. Alpha and Charlie Companies of 1-506th took turns rotating in and out, many suffering casualties within days of arrival. Supplies were flown in or brought by armored convoys, often under fire. Sleep was sporadic. The perimeter was constantly tested.

Holding the Line

Despite the danger, OP VA became a forward anchor point for aggressive patrols and combat missions. Soldiers launched foot patrols to interdict AQI activity and collect intelligence, often engaging in sharp firefights just blocks from the base. Platoons from 1-506th worked in tandem with elements of 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment for immediate indirect fire support. Overwatch from M2 Bradleys and sniper teams helped keep insurgents at bay.

Cpl. Matthew Brines, 22 stands watch at OP Falcons near Habbaniyah, Iraq, June 10, 2006. A motor transport operator from White Lake, Mich., Brines had his first enemy contact shortly after the battalion shifted west from Camp Smitty

The “Ink Blot” Takes Root

The strategy was simple but bold: secure a foothold, build relationships with local residents, and slowly expand the zone of influence — what would later be known as the “ink blot” approach. As OP VA stabilized, more positions were established in nearby neighborhoods. Combat engineers from 14th Engineer Battalion helped harden the outpost, reinforcing it against vehicle-borne IEDs and improving sightlines for defenders.

Not Without Sacrifice

Progress came at a cost. Dozens of soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment were wounded or killed in the defense and daily operations around Observation Post VA. Among them were Sgt. Corey A. Dan, 22, of Norway, Maine, who was killed on March 13, 2006, when he came under small arms fire and an IED detonated during combat operations near Ramadi. Less than a month later, Sgt. David S. Collins, 24, of Jasper, Georgia, was killed on April 9 when an improvised explosive device struck his HMMWV during a mission in the city.

Both men served with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), and their sacrifices reflected the brutal demands of the Ramadi fight. Their deaths—and those of many others—marked a grim but decisive turning point. The blood paid by the 1-506th forged a foothold in Ramadi’s chaos, allowing coalition forces to gradually reclaim ground in one of Iraq’s most contested cities.

Sgt. Corey A. Dan

Outpost to Outbreak

By the summer of 2005, what started as an isolated outpost had become a hub for joint operations with Iraqi Army units. OP VA proved that territory could be wrested from AQI and held — a message that echoed across Anbar. The battle wasn’t over, but the initiative had begun to shift.

Signs of Change in the Dust

Civilian Shifts and Whispered Rebellion Against AQI

By late summer and early fall of 2006, the brutal insurgent grip on Ramadi began to show cracks. American commanders observed a quiet but significant shift — tribal sheikhs and local leaders, long fearful of AQI’s violent reign, began signaling their dissatisfaction. AQI’s heavy-handed tactics, relentless extortion, and ruthless enforcement of their harsh version of Sharia law were alienating the very population they sought to control.

An Iraqi family hurriedly evacuates their home in Ramadi, clutching belongings and guiding children through rubble-strewn streets, as fighting between insurgents and U.S. forces engulfs their neighborhood (New York Times)

Outreach Through the Fog of War

U.S. units on the ground — including elements of the 1st Armored Division and 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry — started covertly passing messages through tribal intermediaries and Iraqi Security Forces. Civil Affairs teams, notably from B Company, 486th Civil Affairs Battalion, played a crucial role facilitating discreet meetings with sheikhs. This communication was risky, with constant fear of infiltration or betrayal by AQI sympathizers.

Building Trust Amidst Chaos

Simultaneously, military intelligence units such as the 415th Military Intelligence Battalion gathered invaluable human intelligence by engaging with locals, identifying potential allies among Ramadi’s tribal structure. Psychological Operations elements worked to amplify messages that encouraged opposition to AQI’s brutal methods, fostering seeds of doubt in insurgent propaganda.

U.S. Marines conduct a security sweep in western Ramadi, preventing OPFOR elements from staging attacks against Coalition troops and Iraqi Security Forces in the contested urban battlespace

Local Militias Begin to Form

These initial contacts laid the groundwork for what would become the “Sons of Iraq” movement — loosely organized local militias formed by Sunni tribal members determined to resist AQI. Although informal at this stage, these militias started collaborating with coalition forces and Iraqi Security Forces to share intelligence and conduct joint patrols.

Units on the Front Lines of the Shift

Special operations forces, including 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) and SEAL Teams 3 and 5, intensified efforts to exploit this tribal discontent. With support from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), these units conducted precision raids targeting AQI leadership, further disrupting insurgent networks and protecting emerging tribal allies.

Navy SEAL Chris Kyle was awarded the Silver Star for his actions in Ramadi, Iraq (Apr–Aug 2006), where he conducted 32 overwatch missions and confirmed 91 enemy kills—directly protecting U.S. and Iraqi forces and helping secure key terrain from insurgent control

A Dangerous Gamble

The alliance between U.S. forces and local tribes was tentative and fraught with peril. AQI retaliated with assassinations, bombings, and intimidation to crush dissent. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) teams and Navy EOD units worked tirelessly to mitigate threats and protect those willing to resist. Despite the risks, the willingness of tribes to defy AQI marked a critical turning point in the campaign.

The Dawn of Ramadi’s Awakening

By fall 2006, the shifting allegiances transformed the battlefield dynamic. What had been an insurgent stronghold was becoming contested ground not only through combat but also through the fractured loyalties of its people. This subtle but powerful change laid the foundation for the larger tribal uprising that would come in the following months.

Joint Security Forces—including Iraqi Police and U.S. Marines from 6th Marine Battalion—patrol from the 7th Street Security Station in Ramadi, Iraq, strengthening local presence and cooperation in one of the city’s most volatile sectors

The First Allies: Ramadi's Tribal Gamble

Sunni Sheikhs and the Seeds of the Awakening

By September 2006, the first signs of organized tribal resistance against AQI were taking shape. Sunni sheikhs—long silenced by fear and intimidation—began cautiously aligning with U.S. forces. These emerging alliances were fragile and clandestine, requiring delicate handling by American commanders and Civil Affairs teams, including B Company, 486th Civil Affairs Battalion, who acted as vital liaisons to the local population.

Arming the Reluctant: Proto-Militias Take Form

With discreet support from coalition forces, local leaders started organizing and arming militias to push back against AQI’s brutal control. Though not yet formally known as the “Sons of Iraq,” these early militias represented the first grassroots efforts to reclaim their city. Special operations units like 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) and SEAL Teams 3 and 5 provided critical training, intelligence, and close support for these budding groups, while the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) ensured rapid insertion and extraction when operations went hot.

Iraqi Police affiliated with the Sons of Iraq patrol the streets of Ramadi, working alongside Coalition forces to restore order and combat insurgent activity during the city’s fragile recovery

Joint Efforts on the Ground

Conventional units such as the 1st Armored Division’s 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry, and the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines continued grinding the streets alongside local militias, coordinating patrols and clearing operations that slowly pushed AQI back. The 54th Engineer Battalion’s Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie companies contributed crucial route clearance, reconnaissance, and fortification efforts, enabling safer movement and supply lines for these nascent alliances.

Intelligence and Information Warfare

Military intelligence units including the 415th Military Intelligence Battalion and 504th Military Intelligence Brigade amplified efforts to understand tribal dynamics, AQI infiltration, and militia loyalties. This intelligence shaped tailored psychological operations spearheaded by Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) to encourage further defection from AQI ranks and build trust among Sunni communities.

The flag of the Iraq Awakening Conference, a symbol of the Sahwa (Awakening) militias led by Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha. Formed under the Sons of Iraq movement, these Sunni tribal fighters played a key role in combating al-Qaeda in Iraq and stabilizing Anbar Province during the insurgency

High Risk, High Reward

The gamble was immense. AQI responded with ruthless violence—targeted killings of tribal leaders, bombings, and reprisals against civilians suspected of collaboration. The Department of Defense Security Forces Tactical Response Teams, along with Navy EOD units, provided critical force protection for allied sheikhs and militia leaders. Despite constant threats, the tribal militias persisted, motivated by a desperate desire to reclaim their homes.

The Cost of Every Block

Casualties, Sacrifice, and the Price of a Tactical Victory

The fight for Ramadi was paid for in blood — block by block, house by house. Small units from across the coalition felt the sting of loss: 2nd Battalion, 75th Rangers’ Echo and Delta Platoons, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, and infantry from the 1st Infantry Division bore the brunt of relentless ambushes and deadly IED strikes. Combat medics and corpsmen operated under constant fire, often risking their lives to save wounded comrades.

Personnel Retrieval and Processing (PRP) Marines carry the remains of a fallen service member onto an aircraft at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, July 20, 2006. PRP units inventory personal effects, document wounds, and prepare remains for transport to Dover AFB. Once known as mortuary affairs, these 51 reserve Marines and sailors operate from a converted Iraqi Air Force hangar at Camp Taqaddum—serving as the first step home for those killed in Al Anbar, Iraq's deadliest province

Combat Enablers: Engineers, EOD, and Fire Support

Behind every successful operation in Ramadi were the unsung heroes—combat engineers, route clearance teams, and fire support units. The 54th Engineer Battalion’s Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies, alongside Naval Special Warfare EOD teams, braved daily IED threats, often sacrificing themselves to protect convoys and patrols. Their work was essential to sustaining mobility and enabling infantry and armor to maneuver through hostile terrain.

Simultaneously, fire support elements were critical force multipliers. The 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery; 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines; and Marine Light Attack Squadron 269 delivered precision strikes. The 321st Engineer Battalion (Task Force Pathfinder) performed construction and route clearance under fire. Overhead, aviation support from the 160th SOAR and coordination by Marine ANGLICO teams (1st and 2nd) ensured lethal accuracy and seamless integration in the urban battlespace.

A Costly but Crucial Turning Point

By late 2006, coalition forces had reclaimed large swaths of Ramadi from AQI control. It was a fragile, hard-won victory—built not only on military strength but also on emerging local partnerships. The collaboration with civilians and newly-formed tribal militias required constant nurturing and vigilance. Though the peace was uncertain, the sacrifices made laid the cornerstone for what would become the broader Anbar Awakening—a movement that would reshape the war’s trajectory in western Iraq.