January 10.

It's getting close. We're almost home. One month to go! In fact, several members of the MEU are already on their way with the advance party. The rest of us here, albeit maybe jealous, are counting down the days until we get home.

In the meantime, we're getting Najaf and Karbala ready for elections, and are continuing to help with the reconstruction effort. In Najaf, we've paid out more than $10 million in four months to assist with rebuilding and refurbishing the holy Shiite city. There's still work to be done, but we're wrapping it up as we enter the home stretch. We're all eager to get home and spend time with our families and friends.