Among Iraq war vets in New Jersey, pride and concern

For former Army Sgt. Carl Oliver, seeing images of the last American combat brigade leaving Iraq was bittersweet.

He's still recovering physically and emotionally from a 2004 insurgent attack in Baghdad that killed two close New Jersey comrades and seriously wounded him.

The sight of troops crossing into Kuwait "brought tears to my eyes," the Trenton man said. "I just wish it had been us coming home, that nobody had to die."

Oliver, 55, and other veterans said Thursday that they were proud of their part in the slow progress - over more than seven years - that led to this week's milestone in Iraq.

They also pondered the future of the troubled country, where more than 4,400 Americans have died. Will Iraq be able to stand on its own? And will the remaining 50,000 U.S. troops be secure?

"If I had to, I'd go back again," said Oliver, a former member of the 112th Field Artillery of the New Jersey National Guard. "I don't want them [insurgents] coming here."

"It's finally ending," said former Army First Lt. Vince Caliguire, whose 30-member Pennsylvania National Guard unit killed 90 insurgents during a vicious battle in Ramadi in 2006.

"I wonder how it's going to go there now and how my Iraqi friends are doing," said Caliguire, 37, who lives in Brigantine, Atlantic County. "I also wonder what kind of support our guys who are still there will have when trouble does happen."

He, too, called the withdrawal "bittersweet. I think of everyone who died there and hope it wasn't for nothing. I would like to see something come of this.

"We eliminated so much of the enemy. I hope young Iraqis will be able to enjoy freedom and live in peace."

The Fourth Stryker Brigade's departure from Iraq - ahead of President Obama's Aug. 31 deadline for ending U.S. combat operations - was always part of the plan, the veterans said. The only question was the timing.

Iraqis "have to take over sometime," said former First Sgt. Richard Hughes, 62, who served with Caliguire at Ramadi in 2006. "We were there to restore law and order and give the Iraqi police, military, and government the tools to govern themselves properly."

"Then we were going to leave," added Hughes, of Mullica Hill. "We did our job, and now they have a good start."

"It's a natural progression," he said. "You go in, and you come out."

The withdrawal of combat soldiers left many veterans with a sense of pride for the role they played.