CAMP VICTORY - A group of US soldiers badly wounded in combat in Iraq have returned to the war-torn country.
Retired lieutenant Edwin Salau, whose wounds from a 2004 ambush attack near Tuz Khurmatu north of Baghdad left him without a lower leg, was one of those who made the trip.
"The return was very inspiring," the 30-year-old said of being driven along the "Highway of Death," as the road from Baghdad airport had become known for its ambushes and bomb attacks by insurgents against occupying forging forces.
"I felt the changes on the way to the base. We had no escort, didn't hear gunshots," said Salau.
Along with seven other war wounded, he is taking part in "Operation Proper Exit," a week-long tour of the country to show them Iraq's "changes", the US military says.
On their arrival on Sunday, the group of soldiers wounded in war were greeted at Camp Victory, one of the largest US bases in Iraq near Baghdad airport.
A poignant welcoming ceremony was held in a former palace of Saddam Hussein with a presentation punctuated by accolades, cheers and shouts.
Sergeant Robert H. Brown, who left Iraq in September 2006 on a stretcher, said the decision to return to the field of action has been an opportunity to "turn a page" in his life as an amputee.
"I'm here to say to the soldiers in Iraq that if injured they will be fine," said Brown, 26, who made a similar trip last year and is overseeing this one as a mentor.
Sergeant Brown admitted "some had reservations, but not to the point they did not want to take the plane. They saw that others had already been back, it's reassured them."
"Operation Proper Exit" has the support of General Ray Odierno, commander of US forces in Iraq, who sees the benefit to his troops still active on the ground.
"It's also valuable for military here, because they see injured, amputated soldiers who want to come back," said the general who spent half an hour with the group after the welcoming ceremony.
According to the website iCasualties.org, 4,349 US soldiers have died and 31,527 have been wounded since the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 is viewed by critics as an 'act of aggression' that violated international law.
Subsequent US occupation policies caused the country to descend into almost total chaos, bordering on civil war.
An estimated 1.3 million Iraqis have been killed in Iraq as a direct result of the invasion, while millions more have fled the country.
Critics argue that the recent stability announced in the country should not excuse the 'crime' of invading Iraq, calling for the prosecution of the war's architects for 'crimes against humanity'.
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