Local soldiers have returned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., after being deployed to Iraq serving in support of Operation New Dawn.
Members from all branches of the U.S. military and multinational forces were also assisting in rebuilding Iraq's economic and governmental infrastructure, and training and preparing Iraqi military and security forces to assume full authority and responsibility in defending and preserving Iraq's sovereignty and independence as a democracy.
Operation New Dawn officially came to an end Dec. 15, 2011.
Among these returning soliders are the following area natives:
