CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq—More than 1,100 Soldiers from Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, have arrived at this sprawling base on the estern outskirts of Baghdad as the Ivy Division’s third trek into Iraq has commenced.

After completing their final training in Kuwait, the wide-eyed Soldiers making their first deployment and the rugged veterans of combat tours past walked off the ramps of Air Force C-130s and C-17s at Baghdad International Airport as their 15-month tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom kicked off without any hitches.

“We’re back again,” said Sgt. Cody Krikstan, administrative specialist, Company B, STB, 4th Inf. Div., and a native of Potomac, Md. “There are a lot of veterans in this unit and that can only be a positive since we know how things work over here. We can help the first-timers make a smooth transition into the Iraqi theater.”

Upon receiving their room assignments and taking account for their personal belongings, Soldiers immediately began acclimating themselves to their home away from home.

Soldiers flooded the Post Exchange for rugs, chairs, cleaning supplies, movies and other items that couldn’t fit into their duffle bags.

Making themselves as comfortable as possible is crucial to setting themselves up for a successful deployment.

“I just left here thirteen months ago, so a lot of this is still fresh in my mind,” said Krikstan. “It’s vital that after working a long day, day-after-day, that we are able to come home to something that resembles a little bit of a home. I expressed that to my Soldiers who are making their first deployment.”

Soldiers are also getting acquainted with their counterparts from the 1st Cavalry Division before the First Team Troopers board the same planes that brought the 4th Inf. Div. Soldiers here back to Kuwait to begin their long-awaited journey home.

A lot of improvement in and around Baghdad has been made over the past year and it is important to everyone here to continue that progression.

“This is a great opportunity to see how (1st Cav. Div.) does things,” said Capt. Julio Perez, G7 current operations officer, A Co., STB, 4th Inf. Div. “They have been doing this for 15 months and it’s been working, so it would be smart to pay close attention to how they operate.”

Soldiers will individually train with their counterparts for roughly ten days prior to the 4th Inf. Div. officially taking the reins of Multi-National Division—Baghdad before Christmas.

The training the Soldiers conducted over the past year leading up to now and the knowledge gained from their 1st Cav. Div. equals will be the recipe that leads to a triumphant start to the campaign.

“We are motivated,” Perez said, who hails from Carolina, Puerto Rico. “It is up to us to ensure that the greater cause—the progression of Iraq and the security of its people—continues to grow into the success it has become.”