Col. David W. Sutherland, commander, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. His brigade will be the first unit to leave Iraq, starting Nov. 27, as the surge ebbs. If conditions permit, five brigade combat teams in Iraq will be redeployed over...

The surge enabled the coalition and Iraqi security forces to dominate the terrain and secure the population. It also helped the government to function properly and begin focusing on reconstruction and essential services. But in the end, it was the Iraqi people who enabled the surge to succeed.