“Today, 20 years after the start of Operation Iraq Freedom, we commemorate all the service members who fought during Operation Iraq Freedom. We honor the memories and legacies of the 4,418 American troops killed in that war and uplift the Families they left behind,” Kurilla said in a statement.
CENTCOM soldiers now serve in Iraq as part of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve at the invitation of the Iraqi government, he added.
Kurilla also noted that the coalition commends its Iraqi partners as they continue to build capability and capacity in the fight against the Daesh*.
On March 19, 2003, then President George W. Bush in a televised address from the Oval Office said the US and coalition forces were in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq and "free its people," marking the start of an invasion and occupation that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and combatants.
*A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.