fort bragg, you can see the people that have lined up there.l phones out and tweeting from on site too. everyone is excited to see the president on site. let's listen in. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and mrs. obama. which [ cheers ] >> wow. [ cheers ] [ applause ] >> hello, everyone! i get to start you all off. i want to begin by thanking general anderson for that introduction but more importantly for his leadership here at fort bragg. i can't tell you what a pleasure and an honor is it to be back here. i have so many wonderful memories of this place, a couple of years ago, i came here on my very first official trip as first lady. and i spent some -- a great time with some of the amazing military spouses and i visited again this summer to help put on the finishing touches on an amazing new home for a veteran and her family. so when i heard that i had the opportunity to come back and to be a part of welcoming you all home, to say i was excited was an understatement. and i have to tell you that when i look out at th

some of them are on their way back to fort bragg. general helmut said they know that the last tactical road march out of iraq will be a symbol and they're going to be a part of history. as your commander-in-chief, i can tell you that it will indeed be a part of history. those last american troops will move south on desert sands. and then they will cross the border out of iraq with their heads held high. one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the american military will come to an end. iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. america's war in iraq will be over. [ cheers ] >> now we knew this day would come. we've known it for some time. still there is something profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long. and nine years ago american troops were preparing to deploy to the persian gulf and the possibility that they would be sent to war. many of you were in grade school. i was a state senator. many of the leaders now governing iraq, including the prime minister, were living in exile. and since then o

some of them are on their way back to fort bragg.general helmik said, they know that the last tactical road march out of iraq will be a symbol, and they are going to be a part of history. as your commander in chief i can tell you it will indeed be a part of history. those american troops will move south on desert sands, and then cross the border out of iraq with their heads held high. one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of the american military will come to an end. iraq's future will be in the hands of its people. america's war in iraq will be over. we knew this day would come. we've known it for some time. but still, there is something profound about the end of a war that has lasted so long. nine years ago american troops were preparing to deploy to the persian gulf and the possibility that they would be sent to war. many of you were in grade school. i was a state senator. many of the leaders now governing iraq, including the prime minister, were living in exile. and since then our efforts in iraq have taken many t

president obama took his first trip to fort bragg this morning. he thanked u.s. troops for their service as the war in iraq winds down. right now, the president says he's focusing on getting troops what they need when they return home. tara mergener reports. >> reporter: president obama and the first lady took off for fort bragg, north carolina. they're welcoming members of the military home from iraq and honoring the nearly 4500 who lost their lives in combat. >> we've given the iraqis an opportunity to have a democracy and to be successful. it is now time for us to bring all of our troops home. >> reporter: the president's trip comes as the nearly 9 year long war draws to a close. some 6,000 u.s. forces left in iraq will be out by the end of this month. but in meetings with iraq's prime minister earlier this week, the president promised the u.s. will help with security issues, fighting terrorism and training iraq's military. about one million american troops have served in iraq since the war began with a conflict officially coming to an end, the white house is

this is a live picture from fort bragg, north carolina. room filmed with american soldiers and president obama will be there to talk to the american soldiers. they are waiting for the president to arrive right now. air force one just landed a little while ago. you saw it landing here hon "mornings on 2." president obama will mark the end of the war in iraq by thanking the soldiers for their sacrifices. the final troops will be pulled out of iraq. and you are looking at live pictures of the soldiers waiting -- waiting for tractor- trailer to -- waiting for the president to walk in. we wanted to take you there and brick you as muff as we do of what was happening there. >>> there were several crashes on highway 17 this morning. you can see the backup. major delays for drivers between san jose and santa cruz. >>> and state lawmakers will hold a hearing today on how campus police responded to recent protests at uc berkeley and uc davis. among those set to testify are the heads of the two schools and many other students as well. lorraine blanco

shell who was based here at fort bragg. a few years ago, on a supply route outside of baghdad, he and his team were engulfed by flames from an rpg attack. covered with gasoline, he ran into the fire to help his fellow soldiers and then led them to miles back to camp victory where he finally collapsed covered with burns. when they told him he was a hero, he disagreed. i am not a hero, he said. a hero is a sandwich. [laughter] i am a paratrooper. we can do well to learn from alvin. this country needs to learn from you. folks in washington need to learn from you. [applause] policymakers and historians will continue to analyze the strategic lessons of iraq. that is important to do. our commanders will incorporate the hard-what lessons in future military campaigns. that is important to do. but the most important lesson we can take from you is not about military strategies. it is a lesson about our national character. for all of the challenges that our nation faces, you remind us that there is nothing we americans cannot do when

and you the incredible men and women of fort bragg have been there every step of the way serving with honor, sacrificing greatly, from the first wave of the invasion to some of the last troops to come home. >> the remaining 6,000 u.s. forces will be home by the end of the month. >> the worries over europe's debt crisis are dragging down financial markets again. the value of the euro slid below $1.30 for the first time sin january. crude oil was down more than $5 a barrel. the dow was down 131 today. the s&p 500 fell 14. and the nasdaq dropped 40 points. >>> $27 million will be spent on gift cards this season. a lot of those won't be used. either they're forgotten, lost or stolen. on the consumerwatch, julie watts shows what you can do to protect your gift card. >> reporter: when his jeep was stolen he thought it was gone forever. >> i went through the seven stages of grief. >> reporter: then he noticed the starbucks card he left inside the jeep was being used. >> apparently they liked caramel frappucinos that's what it showed they were purchasing. >> reporter: lucky for ed he register

>>darya: the president and first lady are in fort bragg this morning. he is giving a speech marking the end of the iraq war with a tribute to the troops. you get your troops chanting as the president is there. we are continuing to listen to the speech. the president is just getting to the podium. and we will check in live in a few minutes. we will be right back. and >>justine: here is and what is just into the kron4 news from, the president is addressing troops at fort bragg marking the end of the iraq war. >>president obama: we have a lot of people in the house today. we have the legendary all-american 82nd airborne division. we have america's special operations forces. we have airforce and i do believe we have navy and marines here as well. we send our thoughts and prayers to sergeant major rice and everyone from the 18th airborne who are bringing our troops back from a rock. >>justine: the president's thinking the troops at fort bragg in north carolina. that area alone has seen more than 200 deaths during the nearly nine years of fighting in a rock.

i lost on a fee of our roops at - fort bragg today." today..the president set 3 a december 31st deadlinehdraa all troops from iraq. 3 annair force staff sergeant from afghanisttn months earlier than expected.ann hat gave him a chance to giie his little boy quite a ssrprise. lloking confusedhugging nats natsmatthew mccarter 3 tooo he mic and began singing at his son's school assembly. it took a minute for little -3 landon to realize whattwas going on... but when he tears.as the crowd of parents finishee the song with his dad. matthew says he was simply overwwelmed when he saww his little boy. 3 don't cry. ttat was a & piffiiult one right there, it was hard to hold it in. 3 i'm very shhcked. 3wwat's next for the father- son duo?celebrating chhistmass together. 3 the mmst famous ssng from &pbaltimore... is coming to a wallet ear yoo.the u-s mint is unveiling two new coins 3 anniversary of the writing of - the "star spangled banner.. theedesigns depict the battle of baltimore duringgthe war of p812.. which inspired frrncis - scott key to write the anthhm at fort mchenry. the coinss will go o

but troops at fort bragg are looking for more. assurances from the president their sacrifices will not be overlooked. >> there's a lot of things we will never understand but we do know that the government is going to do its cutbacks. >> reporter: after eight years in iraq and budget cuts at home, soldiers worry about holes opening and safety nets, pensions, medical support, treatment for ptsd. >> how much pain are you in right now. >> quite a bit. i mean -- aches and pains. >> reporter: iraq vet wesley dodd came home in 2008 with a painful knee injury. ptsd and eventually an addiction to pain medication. today he's medically retired and in a methadone program. do you consider yourselves lucky? >> absolutely. i'm alive. i came home alive. i can't say the same -- i have a number of these dashgs corporal, he was killed on a mission while i was there. he was in my platoon can and killed while i was there. there are a lot of people that don't come home. it is not easy. >> reporter: but dodd was also arrested forging a prescription. he'

. >> any minute president obama and the first lady will go to fort bragg, north carolina, and talk to the troops and end the war in iraq. mike viqueira is there, and this is something very important to the president and something he promised to do in the election campaign. >> yes. it certainly is. you won't see any mission accomplished banners, but you will see the president and the first lady here accompanying the president, chris, more or less thanking the troops and paying tribute to the troops. we all know the statistics that more than 1 million servicemen and women have served in iraq in the course of the last nine years and some 4,500 servicemen and women have lost their lives there including here deployed from fort bragg with 102 servicemen and women. the president is going to be here to thank them and pay tribute and talk about the sacrifices not only that they have made as individuals, but the families have made over the course of the years and the folks on their second and third and fourth deployment to iraq. there are political of tones to where he goes particularly to nort

shell who was based here at fort bragg. a few years ago, on a supply route outside of baghdad, he and his team were engulfed by flames from an rpg attack. covered with gasoline, he ran into the fire to help his fellow soldiers and then led them to miles back to camp victory where -- two miles back to camp victory where he finally collapsed covered with burns. when they told him he was a hero, he disagreed. i am not a hero, he said. a hero is a sandwich. [laughter] i am a paratrooper. we can do well to learn from alvin. this country needs to learn from you. folks in washington need to learn from you. [applause] policymakers and historians will continue to analyze the strategic lessons of iraq. that is important to do. our commanders will incorporate the hard-what lessons in future won lessons in future military campaigns. that is important to do. but the most important lesson we can take from you is not about military strategies. it is a lesson about our national character. for all of the challenges that our nation faces, yo

many iraq veterans were still in school when it all began, but fort bragg in north carolina, service was saluted by the commander in chief. >> we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable, and self-republican linet iraq with a representative government that was elected by its people. we're building a new partnership between our nations. and we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home. this is an extraordinary achievement. >> he did not declare victory, in stark contrast to a predecessor whose moment was painfully premature. the iraq war may have begun with a devastating show of u.s. firepower, which soon toppled the one-man regime, but america lost 4,500 lives to a stubborn insurgency and could only watch as the new iraq descended into a sectarian free-for-all. as a young state senator, barack obama had called it a dumb war, but political opponents say the real stupidity is in ending america's role before the job is done. >> it is clear that this decision and a complete pullout of the united states troops from iraq was dictated by politics and not our

that's right, president obama welcomed home troops at fort bragg today.a military post that sent thousands of soldiers into iraq. >> soldiers cheered president obama and the first lady as they paid tr

troops in fort bragg.he visit comes as the iraq war enters its final stretch. >> reporter: soldiers at fort bragg cheered president obama and the first lady as they paid tribute to troops returning from iraq. >> if your commander in chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home. [ cheering ] >> welcome home! >> reporter: the last 6,000 u.s. forces ever packing up -- are packing up. they'll be out of iraq by theind of the month. it's the final chapter in a nearly nine-year war that has killed 4500 americans and injured tens of thousands more. >> all of the fighting and all the dying, the bleeding, and the building and the training and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment ever success. -- of success. >> reporter: the president recounted the challenges u.s. forces faced during the course of the war and thanked the families who stood behind their loved ones deployed to the front lines. >> every military family that has carried that load over the last nine years, you, too, have the thanks

tara mergener reports on the tribute at fort bragg in north carolina. >> reporter: soldiers at fort bragg cheered president obama and the first lady as they paid tribute to the troops returning from iraq. >> reporter: as your commander in chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home. welcome home! [ applause ] >> reporter: the last 6,000 u.s. forces are packing up. they'll be out of iraq by the end of this month. it's the final chapter in a nearly nine-year war that has killed nearly 4500 americans and injured tens of thousands more. >> all of the fighting and all of the dying, the bleeding and the buildings and the training and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment of success. >> reporter: the president recounted the challenges u.s. forces faced during the course of the war and thanked the families who stood behind their loved ones deployed to the front lines. >> every military family that has carried that load over the last nine years, you, too, had the thanks of a grateful nation. >> reporter: and he renewed his pledge to support veterans on the home front and hel

at fort bragg in north carolina, the president marked the end of the nearly 9-year-old conflict in iraqhonoring what he called the military's extraordinary achievement. he said more than 1.4 million americans have served in iraq since the war began in 2003. mostly the president praised those who were there, fighting. >> and you, the incredible men and women of fort bragg have been there every step of the way, serving with honor, sacrificing greatly, from the first waves of the invasion to some of the last troops to come home. the war in iraq will soon belong to history. your service belongs to the ages. >> as he spoke, other troops in iraq prepared for their own return home, just like this one. nearly 4,500 lives have been lost there, including more than 200 soldiers from fort bragg. >>> some are built to a high quality and made with love. even though they were assembled behind bars for the 11th straight year. prisoners at the elmwood correctional facility turned their wood shops into santa's worksh workshop. they're all bound for the marines' toys for tots program. >> there are very fe

troops during at fort bragg. >> all of it has led to this moment. >> soldiers bid farewell. today is a time of reflection and questioning. what is clear is that all but troops in iraq will be home for the holidays. a bunch of close. >> the personal battles will continue. she said she has not been the home from coming several years ago. >> it is not that simple. you are always one incident from spiraling out of control, being depressed. >> the end of the war is the focus of our daily poll. think? you was the war in iraq were -- it?h >>> the senate is expected to a bipartisan spending bill. the bill ensures that the prosecute can civilian suspects in courts. the house approved the bill yesterday. >>> people congress can be a step closer to extending long- term benefits for the unemployed. they will no longer demand higher taxes on millionaires to pay for the cuts. there is a bill that will keep throughrnment running next september. >>> staying with politics, the gop presidential candidates grab thelast chance to nation's attention. today, the candidates are mostly silent. thei

fort bragg has seen more than 200 troops killed in iraq. >>> turning out to the 2012 campaign. republican front runner newt gingrich may be losing his big lead in i am. >> is now out mitt romney who is closing the gap. the examiner reports that one poll puts texas congressman ron paul one point behind newt gingrich in iowa. they are both still trailing mitt romney. >> tea party a favorite christine o'donnell is throwing his support behind mitt romney she told fox news that mitt romney's executive experience played a key role in her decision. >>> donald trump has made a decision not to moderate in upcoming gop debate. he says he will bypass the debate because he may still want to run for president as an independent when his reality show ends in may. the debate was doomed from the start. all of the gop candidates -- only rick santorum and newt gingrich had agreed to show up. it was not going to be much of a debate. in today's tch bytes, facebook and twitter are adding new features. >> a call to ban phones completely while driving. the national transportation safety board says han

he went to fort bragg in north carolina wednesday to cheer them himself. >> on behalf of a grateful nation, i'm proud to finally say these two words -- and i know your families agree -- welcome home. [applause] >> but mostly, the president praised those who went to fight the war since march of 2003. >> and we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home. this is an extraordinary achievement. nearly nine years in the making, the war in iraq will soon belong to history. your service belongs to the ages. >> as he spoke, other troops in iraq prepared for their return, and a homecoming like this. >> from here at home to those overseas, here is patrick, at serving in afghanistan. and ulocal's joe neel shows us those here at home. you can share your photos act wbaltv.com, click on ulocal. >> police charged a second teenager in connection with a fight at a baltimore county high school. police used pepper spray to break up the fight in eastern baltimore county. tim tooten is live with the follow-up report. >> the second student, a 15- year-old boy, has been charged w

psychological evaluations but he has been found competent to stand trial. , president obama heading to fort bragg, north carolina, this morning. there he will address the end of the nine year occupation of iraq. the visit comes days after the commander in chief hosted the rocky prime minister. all u.s. troops will leave that nation by december 31. >>> turning out to the 2012 campaign. republican presidential candidates mitt romney and newt gingrich are expected to resume their attacks on each other today. mitt romney will hold fund- raisers including one on wall street. the former house speaker will spend the day in iowa. >>> meantime, the fight over payroll tax cuts did not end with last night's vote. >> the yayare are 234, the naya 194. the motion is passed. >> house republicans passed an extensive plan but it will not reach the president's desk because it includes a controversial oil pipeline proficient that senate democrats oppose. if congress cannot reach a deal by the end of the year, payroll taxes will go up for millions of americans a leading house republican wants to know -- what occupie

he's visiting fort bragg to mark the end of the war in iraq. >> brian: it's all about how we're leaving. moments ago, time magazine announced its person of the year. here is a clue, it's not a person. >> steve: how can it be the person of the year? >> brian: how dare you ask a person like that? "fox & friends" starts right now >> i'm donald trump and you're watching "fox & friends" and if you turn the channel, you're fired. >> gretchen: my goodness. >> brian: i had a chance to sit down with him for the christmas special. prime time christmas special that will be -- it usually outstrips all the networks combined. he said something after i interviewed his entire family about christmas, he said, you mind if i tell you something honestly? so of course, i said yeah, tell me. he goes, your ties suck. >> brian, you're fired. >> gretchen: is this a -- i was going to say, i love your tie today. >> brian: he says, wear up with of my ties. they're at macy's. >> gretchen: if you wear it, you become a millionaire? >> brian: i think so. >> steve: i love your

he went to fort bragg, home to so many men and women who fought and died over there.ef white house correspondent ed henry tells us what else the president said. >> a war that started with shock and awe, ends not with a final battle but a final march toward home. >> i'm proud to say the two words and i know your families agree. welcome home. >> words not used by the president were mission accomplished or victory and didn't want to touch the politically charged designation. choosing to refuse to give president bush credit for turning the war around. putting the focus on the sacrifice of american troops. >> we remember the surge and the awaken. when chaos turned to reconciliation. you helped turn the tide toward peace. >> no mention that mr. obama opposed the surge, omission that angered senator john mccain. >> for three years the president harvest strategy of a policy he dismissed as a failure. i imagine this irony was not lost on a few of our troops at fort bragg today. >> i do oppose is a dumb war. >> promised in 2008 to responsibly end the war and focus more on al-qa

. >> the president will also travel to fort bragg, north carolina for an event on wednesday. the military base south of baghdad has been handed over to iraqi forces. >>> a big protest outside the white house today because of a camp for refugees in iraq. there are concerned about what happens to the camp after troops are gone. scott has more from the newsroom. >> there are plenty of concerns about the future of iraq. one of the big ones is over the 3500 iranian exiles. they moved to a rock and give it their weapons. they were promised u.s. protection but have been targeted because of what some say is an erroneous label as a terrorist group. >> if the goal was to get the president's attention, these iranian-americans put on a performance that must have raised eyebrows. they came to protest this. this is camp ashraf. they're using u.s.-supplied humvees and weapons to run down would appear to be iranians refugees. the prime minister was meeting with president obama inside the white house. u.s. troops are leaving at the end of the month. the refugees will be unprotected or forced

forces in fort bragg. tara mergener reports for wjz, the visit comes as the iraq war enters its final stretch. >>> folders -- soldiers at fort bragg cheered president obama and the first lady as they paid tribute to troops returning from iraq. >> as your commander in chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home. [ applause ] welcome home! >> reporter: the last 6,000 u.s. forces are packing up. they'll be out of iraq by the end of this month. it's the final chapter in a nearly nine-year war that has killed nearly 4500 americans and injured tens of thousands more. >> all the fighting and the dying and the bleeding and the training and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment of success. >> reporter: the president recounted the challenges u.s. forces faced during the course of the war and thanked the families who stood behind their loved ones deployed to the front line. >> every military family that has carried that load over the last nine years, you, too, have the thanks of a grateful nati

the president and first pady heed to fort bragg to acknowledge the successes of each step of the iraqallmarch toward home." the resident says - the war was controversial - but soldiers' patriotism never wavered - sacrifices. 202 fallen heroes &ponce called tths nooth carolina bbseehome. nats: "we know too well theeheavy cost of this war." about one-time high of 170,000. but all arr slated to leave py december 31st. obama says: "we are leaving ehinn a soveeeign, stable, and &pself--eliann iraq." in &pfallujah, once the heart off the iraqi insurgenny - thousands took to the streets to cheer the american withdrawal. even as a top u-s spokesman warred - especially from al-qaida. regenerate capability to come 3 back in an evee worse way than &pthey have been n the past." republicans - like senator john mmcain - don'ttbelieve the time is riggt forra complete withhrawal. mccain says: "i also agree with our military ccmmanddrs in iraq who are nnerly unanimoos in their belief thaa ome us should reeain."davis says: (onn cca fox neww tag) "while ammrican troopp are pulling out of iraa, ssoe us m

they went to fort bragg as iraq wind down. thewe have more on president and first lady's tribute to the troops. soldiers applauded the president and first lady, the president returned the compliment. a gratefulbehalf of nation -- proud to finally say these two words -- and i know welcomemilies agree -- home. welcome home. welcome home. [applause] >> the mission in iraq is over, he wants the country to remember their sacrifice. over 4000 troops lost their lives and 30,000 were injured. of afghanistan and iraq. view, and of afghanistan, we have broken taliban. f the saferists will have no haven and osama bin laden will face ofain walked the this earth. >> soldiers were preparing to watched the address. they felt their work was worth it. feel pretty good. much you can do, we helped as much as we could. are going to keep finding ways to serve all of you as well as you have served us. >> our combat troops are to return home by christmas. but some americans will remain in advisory positions. the president has promised the u.s. will

. >>> president obama marked the end of the iraq war while at fort bragg today. the president's first trip to the north carolina military base. tara mergener with more on the tribute to the soldiers who served and died in the war. >> reporter: soldiers at fort bragg cheered president obama and the first lady as they paid tribute to troops returning from iraq. >> so as your commander-in- chief and on behalf of a grateful nation, welcome home. >> whoo! >> welcomehome! >> reporter: the last 6,000 u.s. forces are packing up. they will be out of iraq by the end of the month. it's the final chapter in a nearly nine-year war that killed more than 4500 americans and injured tens of thousands more. >> all the fighting and all the dying, the bleeding and the building and the training and the partnering, all of it has led to this moment of success. >> reporter: the president recounted the challenges u.s. forces faced during the course of the war and thanked the families who stood behind their loved ones deployed to the front lines. >> every military family that has carried

the president and the first lady flew to fort bragg in north carolina today to mark the end of the war in iraq. america's military families have been under a lot of stress during nearly a decade of war in iraq and afghanistan. a lot of troops have been deployed three, four, even five times. mr. obama took note of their sacrifice. >> so as your commander in chief and on behalf of the grateful nation, i'm proud to finally say these two words-- and i know your families agree-- welcome home. ( cheers and applause ) welcome home. welcome home. welcome home. >> pelley: the last american troops are due to leave iraq by the end of this month. some americans falling on hard times have left their homes and moved to the desert. we'll take you there. love and marriage-- they're not going together as often as they used to. and jewelry once worn by oft-married elizabeth taylor sells for a fortune when the cbs evening news continues. >> pelley: turns out marriage in this country is not as popular as it once was. the pew research center said today 51% of american adults are married. that's the lowest

. >> and president obama acknowledged returning troops to fort bragg, north carolina today not with final battle but final march home. the president and first lady thanked soldiers for service and applauded what is called extraordinary achievements. >> and your commander in chief on behalf of the grateful nation i'm proud to say these words. i know your family as agree, welcome home. welcome home. >> 5500 troops stationed in iraq return home by the end of the year, ending a nine year long conflict. the president has pledged the u.s. will continue justice in iraq. >> a lot more to bring you. coming up, grinches who stole spirit of the season. >> and the tanker inferno. take a look at this, triggered a big back up on a congested freeway. >> the skies looking different from what you're seeing here tomorrow, get umbrellas out. swreel a wet commute on the way. i'll let you know which one coming up. >> and also tonight great news if you're coming into san francisco maybe to do holiday shopping. no more fumbling for coins when you park. the news continues in one minute. >> closed captioning brou

they are on says now speaking to troops in fort bragg. that base has seen nearly 200 deaths of nine years of fighting in iraq. it comes weeks before the last troops are scheduled to come home. >>> we turn to the presidential campaign. there is a solid lead for newt gingrich. there is bad news for president obama whose favorability rating has plummeted. >>> the republican contenders are in a heated battle but it is not too early for president obama to start worrying about his re-election. >> we will have to fight for it. it is -- it is not a slam dunk. >> it is been rough for the president is last three years. his popularity has dropped 31 points from his peak when he took office and for the first time ever, more americans have a negative view of him than positive. >> there will be skepticism, there will be some push back. >> top obama campaign officials are giddy about the potential for a long and nasty republican primary which would give them more time to focus on their own campaign strategy. they believe the new gingrich- mitt romney fi

will be in fort bragg, north carolina today... to thank servicemembers, who served during the nine-year war in iraq. . >>> president obama will be in fort bragg, north carolina to thank service members who serve in iraq. that nine-year war ends on december 31. all u.s. combat troops are supposed to be out of iraq by then. at the height of the war in 2007, about 170,000 u.s. servicemembers were in iraq. >>> layoffs will not hit the state department of justice as hard as had been expected. this was supposed to happen next year. the department of justice had been expected to lay off 203 agents but attorney general kamala harris now says it will be 102 sworn agents plus 21 civilians who will lose their jobs. harris somehow found money in her budget to keep the rest of the agents on the job. >>> 6:12 now. this morning a scramble for the latest victims of california's new round of spending cuts. governor brown announced $1 billion in trigger cuts that kicked in when state revenue fell short. among them $248 million for school transporta

here is the president on wednesday, in fort bragg, north carolina, 50 miles south of raleigh,tary back from iraq. >> so as your commander in chief, and on behalf of a greatful nation, i'm proud to finally say these two words -- and i know your families agree -- welcome home! [cheering] welcome home! welcome home! >> okay, and baghdad this week, on-site u.s. defense secretary leon panetta shut down the u.s. military campaign. secretary panetta is absolute the soldiers who were lost in iraq. >> those lives have not been lost in vain. they gave birth independent, free and sovereign iraq. >> question, are we leaving iraq voluntarily, or were we thrown out? eleanor. >> a little bit of both. i think obama campaign has already done an ad saying promise kept. this president ran on getting us out of iraq, and he has kept that promise. so yes, we got out because it was time and we wanted to. but we also wanted to leave a residual force behind, and we couldn't negotiate with the iraqis that they would accept that, and prime minister -- malachy's problem he couldn't accept that after nine years, t

part of the last- minute out of iraq and will be on leave for two weeks before he goes back to fort bragg in north carolina. >> that was amazing. i love that. we invite you to honor the veterans in your life. you can share photos are on our taejon wbaltv.com. frustration -- >> we noticed that two holes were in the wall and water started pouring in. >> that water was coming from next door. that home is vacant. a new report uncovers another concern for the earthquake damaged washington monument. >> we have some heavy rain now bear in some areas tonight. we will check the forecast for the holiday weekend. it is raining in downtown baltimore. >> a neweport on the washington monument shows an extensive cracking vulnerable to the elements. standing water could collect on the upper floors during storms. the structure was damaged in that earthquake that rocked the east coast last august. the report does not estimate how much those repairs would cost. there are thousands of vacant homes in the baltimore area. living next to one of them can be a challenge. a baltimore county woman was losing sleep

. >>> meanwhile president obama will be in fort bragg, north carolina today to thank servicemembers who served during the nine-year war in iraq. that war will officially end when the year ends in less than three weeks. all u.s. combat troops will be out of iraq by then. at the height of the war back in 2007, about 170,000 u.s. servicemembers were in that country. >>> 5:12 now. a serial burglar targeting lottery tickets. where he has been cashing in on the winnings. coming up. >>> and more courtroom drama in the penn state scandal. what we can today after sandusky's bombshell. >>> into the deep freeze around the bay area again. but if you want to head to the high country for skiing, looking good up there. no new snow but looking good at boreal and they are making plenty with these cold temperatures, 15 degrees right now in lake tahoe. heavenly looking at a couple of feet of that powder on the ground there. partly cloudy skies. should stay dry at northstar, as well. partly cloudy, about 18" of base there. we'll have more on your weather coming up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, today, national footba

the special forces of fort bragg were the first to enter the reason in 2003.ice members since the conflict began. >> over 30,000 americans had been wounded. and those are only the wowrntdz that show -- wounds that show. >> u.s. troops will pull out by december 31st. the president has pledged to help after the war. >>> a los angeles judge seemed a bit surprised this morning in a good way at a probation progress hear for lindsay lohan. >> ms. lohan, you have actually done the work and done it not only on time but early. it says you were doing an -- >> the judge noted that lohan is fulfilling the terms of her probation. she's been performing community service at the county morgue, undergoing counseling and she's on probation for a 2007 case. >>> a freeze warning was lifted at around 9:20 this morning. frost covered just about everything outside. ice on the roads combined with fog to make the morning commute more dangerous. at 7:00 a.m. temperatures were still in the mid-20s. >>> today is another spare the air day in the bay area. air quality management officials

in a certain area each of those units might call for a team and then that will come down here in fort bragg will be tasked with we're sending a loudspeaker team so it does much more the main. technology of these loudspeakers is becoming more and more sophisticated the latest models all compact powerful sound cannons they can bust ear drums cools nausea and can even make people unconscious vitamin c. medium bills these acoustic morhaime and. it's a powered loud speaker that works at very long distances with perfect clarity that is not what a normal loud speaker does. it makes it more intelligible. it makes it louder. and it throws a farther. business is brisk every day dozens of these small high performance speakers are assembled into large sound cannons. that knock out the enemy not with bullets but with sensory overload what's scary is not just their looks. it's like it's here. how is that possible if i blindfolded you if i blindfolded you and i turned you around and i said tell me where the sound is coming from you would be confused that's what makes our device very helpful in the militar