This was taken during my going-away party on my last duty day in Iraq. I could show other pictures from the party my two dozen Iraqi engineers, translators, drivers and clerical staff threw for me that day, but I want to protect their identities from reprisals by the insurgents. Also, I almost never wore a uniform in my job, only got my haircut once during my six months in country (right before I left), and even grew at goatee at one point. I also have a picture of me with one of the AK-47s that our headquarters was passing out to people who only got issued pistols in the states and, like me, needed an automatic rifle for the long trips to our HQ in Irbil that I'd have to make every week.