WASHINGTON — The U.S. military announced Wednesday that American troops have completed their withdrawal from Iraq, ending a presence that began with the 2003 invasion and later shifted to the fight against the Islamic State.
A Pentagon statement described an “orderly departure” from the last air base where U.S. forces had remained in northern Iraq. The mission that most recently involved American troops there had lasted about 12 years as a counter-ISIS effort, on top of the earlier occupation and advisory years.
For families across Franklin, Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Jackson, and Scioto counties, the announcement is not abstract. Ohio National Guard units and active-duty service members from this region rotated through Iraq for more than two decades. Memorials, VFW posts, and American Legion halls in Columbus, Chillicothe, Waverly, Jackson, and Portsmouth still carry the names of those who did not come home.
Iraqi and American officials have described the next phase as uncertain. Some Iraqi leaders have welcomed the end of a long foreign military footprint. Others have warned that Tehran’s influence and remaining militant networks will now test Baghdad without the same U.S. presence on the ground.
The White House framed the departure as the completion of a commitment to end an open-ended war. Defense officials said residual cooperation on intelligence and counterterrorism can continue without a permanent troop presence.
Local veterans groups said they expect more calls this week from families looking for information on benefits, records, and what the withdrawal means for those still processing injuries and claims from earlier deployments.
Hopewell Heritage Headlines will follow how the change lands with southern Ohio veterans in the days ahead.
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