The OIF GenerationA field guide to the Iraq War and the generation that fought it
Year by Year ยท 2010

2010: From Iraqi Freedom to New Dawn

Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory on September 1, 2010, the day Operation New Dawn began.
Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory on September 1, 2010, the day Operation New Dawn began. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Roger Dey (public domain)

Elections

Iraqis voted in national parliamentary elections on March 7, 2010. Months of negotiation followed before a government was formed.

The end of combat operations

In August 2010 the last U.S. combat brigade left Iraq for Kuwait. On August 31, President Obama addressed the nation to mark the end of the U.S. combat mission. The Iraqi Sovereignty campaign ended that day.

Operation New Dawn

On September 1, 2010, Operation Iraqi Freedom formally became Operation New Dawn. Remaining U.S. forces, organized in advise-and-assist brigades, focused on training Iraqi forces, supporting counterterrorism operations, and protecting U.S. civilian efforts. The New Dawn campaign began.