As the 19th anniversary of Operation Iraq Freedom approaches, there are roughly 2,500 troops still in Iraq, playing a strict advise-and-assist role at the invitation of the Iraqi government.

McKenzie has often repeated that the Iraqi government really wants U.S. troops in its country, though of course, so did the Afghans.

July 27, 2021 - President Joe Biden has confirmed that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will be over by the end of this year, with the remaining 2,500 U.S. troops shifting to advisory, air support and surveillance roles to aid the Iraqi government in its fight against the Islamic State group (IS).

The roughly 2,500 U.S. troops are scattered around the country, largely in military installations in Baghdad and in the north.