Drew Brown/Stars and Stripes

BBCPfc. Jeff Lawniczak, 22, of Milwaukee, Wis., sits in the gunner's turret in a Humvee, scanning for enemy activity through a pair of binoculars.

Drew Brown, formerly of Knight-Ridder/McClatchy, just arrived in Iraq for Stars and Stripes. His first dispatch offers a good photo gallery of U.S. troops and the 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division's Military Transition Team operating near Baqouba.

As he writes: "American officers have been pressuring Iraqi forces to dismantle vulnerable checkpoints like the one in As'Sadah and become more aggressive in their offensive operations against insurgents. 'Really, all these guys are doing out here is waiting to get shot at,' Capt. Todd Stephens said. 'If you're in a defensive position, then you're in a defensive mind-set.'"