Security is paramount at Camp Victory, a U.S. base in Iraq, because of its proximity to Baghdad International Airport. Humvee-mounted soldiers patrol the nearby farms and towns around the clock.
On a recent patrol, Alpha Company of the Arkansas National Guard's 39th Combat Brigade Team left the base in four Humvees. In the lead vehicle, the feeble air conditioner was on the fritz, and the armor- and helmet-clad soldiers were soaked within the first few minutes of a four-hour drive in 110-degree weather.
NPR's John McChesney road along on the patrol, which included a stop in a small village. There, soldiers conducted a "house assessment," searching a home and questioning the oldest male resident through an interpreter.
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