National
Soldiers of the Kentucky National Guard's B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery pile into a truck to visit a palace-turned-military office at Camp Victory.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Staff Sgt. James Rawlings adjusts the gunner's hatch in the five-ton truck he drove on a mission in December. Each truck includes three soldiers, a driver, a gunner and a truck commander.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Spc. Michael Valencia, left, and Pvt. First Class Bobby Britton work on vehicles in December. The vehicles often make it through only one mission on Baghdad's rough, unkempt roads before needing repairs.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Capt. Steve Mattingly, 35, climbs in through the gunner's hatch in a truck used for missions. The gunners often use the hatch to pass out snacks to Iraqi soldiers and children.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Battalion Chaplain Melvin Tucker of the Alabama National Guard leads the Kentucky National Guard unit in prayer before a mission.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Soldiers of the Kentucky National Guard's B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery pray before leaving on a mission from Camp Taji in December.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Mike Miller prepares his truck to leave on a three-day mission from Camp Taji to three military outposts and bases around Baghdad.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Spc. Chad Little, 35, a gunner, left, and Spc. Nick Devarenne, 23, a driver, wait in the Armored Security Vehicle before a mission. The AVS is the smoothest ride and the best armored vehicle in the convoy.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Staff Sgt. Doug Hall, left, adjusts headlights on a truck as Staff Sgt. James Rawlings guides where it should point. The lights they call "big boys" are turned on and off throughout the night to accommodate drivers passing the convoy or careful hunts for danger at the side of the road.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Staff Sgt. James Rawlings, right, talks with Capt. Steve Mattingly through a headset before a convoy security mission in December.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Staff Sgt. James Rawlings works at night, supporting deliveries to military bases around Baghdad. With the help of night-vision equipment in the dark city, the Kentucky National Guard unit can often spot threats on the road.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Sgt. First Class Robbie Hughes waits near a bonfire while concrete barriers are unloaded during a mission south of Baghdad.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Members of the Kentucky National Guard's B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery explore the grandiose bathrooms inside a former palace at Camp Victory.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
After a late-night trip from Camp Taji, Spc. Johnny Elliott and other soldiers have a meal at 3 a.m. in the dining hall at Camp Victory.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
Sgt. Andrea Kaichi, left, Sgt. First Class Sean McCormick, center, and Staff Sgt. Jared DeAtley look online at houses for sale in Lexington, Ky. The unit might go home before its 400-day deployment is up, so some soldiers are scrambling to find housing for when they return.
Jamie Gumbrecht / MCT
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