Photos

Sammy, a local Iraqi and resident of Al Madinah, Iraq, smiles alongside his wife as Marines visit their town for a ribbon cutting ceremony Feb.10, 2005. The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based battalion, which is at the end of a seven month deployment to Iraq, spent over $360,000 to rebuild the 32 dilapidated homes in the village. The ribbon cutting signified the completion of a project meant to improve the quality of life for the residents while building up the trust between them and the Marines. Prior to the upgrades, the village had been in a state of decay, having been ignored for the past three decades by Saddam Hussein's regime. The ground was covered in litter and the homes lacked such amenities as running water and electricity.