THE ALASKA STORY
Sept. 30, 2026 — American forces and coalition equipment have departed Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq, ending the US-led military mission there and closing another chapter in America’s involvement in the country, 23 years after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
US Central Command confirmed Wednesday that the departure concluded Operation Inherent Resolve’s mission in Iraq. The counter-ISIS task force remains operational, with its headquarters now in Jordan and operations continuing in Syria.
President Donald Trump hailed the withdrawal as a victory for the United States and Iraq, pointing to the destruction of the Islamic State’s territorial caliphate and contrasting the departure with the Biden administration’s chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan.
“We came to fight a caliphate, and there is no longer a caliphate, so we are going home,” Trump said at a White House event Wednesday.
The Pentagon described the departure of coalition forces and equipment as orderly and said the completed mission reflected the success of a 12-year campaign against ISIS. Iraq will now assume primary responsibility for its security, with the United States continuing targeted training and intelligence support.
Trump emphasized that equipment was leaving with the troops.
“I said, ‘I want every screw taken. If there’s a screw lying on the ground, take it. If we have a canvas tent, take it.’ We took everything,” he said.
CENTCOM confirmed the departure of forces and equipment, although its announcement did not provide an itemized inventory.
The contrast with Afghanistan is unavoidable. During the August 2021 evacuation ordered by President Joe Biden, an ISIS-K suicide bomber attacked Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport, killing 13 American service members and scores of Afghan civilians. The Taliban had already seized the capital as the US-backed government collapsed. It was a national tragedy and embarrassment.
A subsequent federal watchdog report cited Pentagon estimates that approximately $7.1 billion in US-provided military equipment remained in Afghanistan when the Taliban took control. That equipment had previously been transferred to Afghan forces; the figure does not represent equipment belonging to departing American units.
In Iraq, the departure follows a negotiated transition rather than the collapse of the partner government. Washington and Baghdad announced the framework in September 2024 during the Biden administration. Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi reaffirmed the Sept. 30 deadline during their July meeting in Washington.
America’s military involvement in Iraq unfolded in distinct phases. The United States invaded in March 2003 to overthrow Hussein. US forces withdrew in December 2011, then returned in 2014 after ISIS seized large stretches of Iraq and threatened the government in Baghdad. Wednesday’s departure ends that later, 12-year mission.
The terrorist organization’s territorial defeat was a major accomplishment. Its last territorial stronghold in Syria fell in March 2019, during Trump’s first administration. But the destruction of the caliphate did not eliminate every ISIS cell, and American officials say continued vigilance remains necessary.
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, credited American personnel and their partners with putting Iraqi forces in a position to manage threats to their own country.
“Job well done to the tens of thousands of American service members, diplomats, and civilian personnel who answered the call in Iraq,” Cooper said.
He said regional US and coalition forces remain ready to respond to future ISIS threats.
For Alaska, the conclusion of the Iraq mission carries particular significance. Thousands of soldiers based in the state served there, while Alaska families endured long separations, deployment extensions, injuries, and the loss of loved ones.
Among the most demanding deployments was the Fort Wainwright-based 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s 16-month tour in 2005–2006. Soldiers expecting to return home instead had their deployment extended and were sent to Baghdad.
This past July, veterans and Gold Star families gathered at Fort Wainwright for a 20-year reunion honoring the brigade’s service.
According to the Army, the unit lost 30 assigned soldiers killed in action who were members of the Alaska-based brigade, regardless of their home states.
Fort Richardson’s 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, also served a lengthy Iraq deployment, from October 2006 through December 2007. Alaska National Guard soldiers served in the conflict as well.
Alaska’s role continued during the campaign against ISIS. Approximately 2,000 soldiers from Fort Wainwright’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait in 2019–2020 to support Operation Inherent Resolve.
A published state-by-state casualty tally identifies 17 Alaska residents killed in the Iraq War. That is a different measure from deaths among Alaska-based units, whose soldiers came from across the country.
Deployment figures cannot simply be added together to produce a count of individual Alaskans who served. Some soldiers completed multiple tours, and other Alaska residents deployed with units stationed elsewhere.
But the state’s contribution is unmistakable. For veterans, military families, and Gold Star families across Alaska, Wednesday’s announcement closes a mission in which they invested years of service and sacrifice.
Iraq’s next challenge includes controlling Iran-backed militias that operate outside a unified government chain of command. Kurdish communities also face uncertainty about their security following the removal of coalition forces and air defenses.
For the Trump administration, the departure marks a shift toward a relationship built on diplomacy, investment, and security cooperation, with Iraq taking responsibility for defending its territory.
The military mission in Iraq has ended. The work of preventing another ISIS resurgence continues.
