▁Al ▁An bar ▁was ▁mostly ▁over . ▁ ▁Frederick ▁K agan , ▁resident ▁scholar ▁at ▁the ▁American ▁Enter prise ▁Institute , ▁called ▁Al ▁An bar ▁" the ▁G ett ys burg ▁of ▁this ▁war , ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁counter ins ur gen cies ▁can ▁have ▁such ▁turning ▁points ," ▁writing ▁" Progress ▁in ▁An bar ▁and ▁throughout ▁the ▁Sun ni ▁community ▁has ▁dep ended ▁heavily ▁on ▁a ▁skill ful ▁balance ▁between ▁military ▁force ▁and ▁political ▁efforts ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁level ." ▁ ▁The ▁tact ics , ▁techniques , ▁and ▁procedures ▁used ▁by ▁ 1 st ▁B CT ▁were ▁ground bre aking ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁but ▁came ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁philosoph ical ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁sur ge ▁in ▁Ira q . ▁In ▁nine ▁months , ▁ 8 5 ▁soldiers , ▁sail ors , ▁and ▁Mar ines ▁were ▁killed , ▁and ▁over ▁ 5 0 0 ▁were ▁wounded . ▁ ▁Division ▁Head quarters ▁re dep lo ys ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁amid ▁a ▁national ▁debate ▁about ▁tro op ▁levels ▁in ▁Ira q ▁and , ▁more ▁broad ly , ▁about ▁the ▁US ▁strategy ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Arm ored ▁Division ▁Head quarters ▁was ▁re - deploy ed ▁to ▁Ira q . ▁General ▁David ▁Pet ra eus ' ▁sur ge ▁strategy ▁was ▁in ▁effect , ▁with ▁major ▁counter ins ur gency ▁operations ▁across ▁the ▁country . ▁" This ▁is ▁a ▁p iv otal ▁and ▁historic ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁AD , ▁for ▁the ▁forces