▁of ▁the ▁soldiers ▁who ▁fought ▁with ▁units ▁like ▁ 1 – 3 6 ▁Infantry ▁(" S part ans "), ▁ 2 – 3 7 ▁Arm or ▁(" I ron ▁D uk es "), ▁and ▁ 1 – 3 7 ▁(" B and its ") ▁during ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁returned ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁tour . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁B CT ▁was ▁initially ▁deployed ▁to ▁Northern ▁Ira q ▁in ▁N ine ve h ▁province ▁concentr ating ▁on ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Tal ' ▁Af ar . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁main ▁force ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Brigade ▁received ▁orders ▁to ▁move ▁south ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Ram adi ▁in ▁vol atile ▁Al ▁An bar ▁Province . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Al ▁An bar ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁of ▁operations ▁for ▁the ▁Sun ni ▁ins ur gency ▁and ▁al ▁Q a eda . ▁ ▁Ram adi , ▁its ▁capital , ▁had ▁neither ▁a ▁government ▁nor ▁a ▁police ▁force ▁when ▁the ▁brig ade ▁arrived . ▁ ▁Most ▁military ▁strateg ists ▁inside ▁and ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁Bush ▁administration ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁An bar ▁had ▁already ▁concluded ▁un success fully . ▁ ▁Al ▁Q a eda ▁in ▁Ira q ▁public ly ▁announced ▁Ram adi ▁as ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁their ▁new ▁cal i ph ate ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁alone ▁aver aged ▁more ▁than ▁twenty ▁attacks ▁per ▁day ; ▁the ▁province ▁was ▁statist ically ▁the ▁most ▁dangerous ▁location ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁the ▁ins