U.S. Army Cpl. Alexander Lewis, 21, from Las Vegas, Nev., foreground, and Spc. Ryan Karandzieff, 24, from St. Louis, Mo., with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, eat Thanksgiving dinner at a combat outpost in Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad on Thursday. For most U.S. troops serving in Iraq it was business as usual, with a traditional Thanksgiving meal in the evening, and hopefully a phone call home to loved ones before heading out on patrol again. (Maya Alleruzzo/Associated Press)