anyway, not in iraq. - it has to be -- the american public will tolerate a policy -- support a policy that is explained to them in terms of american interests. that i think has been absent. what are the american interests? the withdrawal of the u.s. -- again, it's a complicated matter. aside from the military, the sort of political and intellectual withdrawal from iraq in 2011 leads to the rise of isil, which turns out to have all kinds of implications for vital american interests, not least of which is the effect that the refugee crisis it is in part causing is having on the european unity project, which has been a cornerstone of american foreign policy since the days of dwight d. eisenhower. so these things are in the interest of the united states, aside from the fight against terrorism, which is a common fight to all -- to the civilized order. i think the american people could be on board that program. iraq hasn't been in the ex at all other than who did support and when. that's a fairly, shall i say, m

anyway, not in iraq. but there has to be -- it has to be -- the american public will tolerate a policy -- support a policy that is explained to them in terms of american interests. that i think has been absent. what are the american interests? the withdrawal of the u.s. -- again, it's a complicated matter. aside from the military, the sort of political and intellectual withdrawal from iraq in 2011 leads to the rise of isil, which turns out to have all kinds of implications for vital american interests, not least of which is the effect that the refugee crisis it is in part causing is having on the european unity project, which has been a cornerstone of american foreign policy since the days of dwight d. eisenhower. so these things are in the interest of the united states, aside from the fight against terrorism, which is a common fight to all -- to the civilized order. i think the american people could be on board that program. iraq hasn't been in the ex at all other than who did support and when. that's a f

it doesn't matter who governs in iraq. if hamanahi's son became the prime minister of iraq it will be in iran's interest for iraq to be weak. i'm not saying we want the chaos on their border that we have had tensed 2014. the last point i'll make -- and i have gone over my time, i apologize -- is that the pmus and militias have to be disbanded after the military operation is over. that is much, much easier said than done. i am told -- we'll see if this happens, that after mosul is liberated from isil to expect a fatwa from the grand ayatollah al sistani thanking the rank and file of the pmus and telling them they need to go home. as mr. pregent said, the leadership of the pmus have entirely different ideas, but i have to say, to the extent that we maintain sectarian and nonconstitutionally based militias, and allow them to roam freely, i couldn't agree more when when jesus we are setting up the conditions for isil 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0, we have to look to rebuilding a state of iraq. that is probably harder to do now in 2016 than

in the next five years, what is iraq going to look like? is the chaos of the last five years a sign of things to come? >> i am pessimistic. there are some in a variables at play. there is so much the can go wrong in so many regional players who have a greater strength on the ground who can impact the situation against u.s. interests and iraq's interests. the question is what happens caliphate is brought down. do they remain there on a semipermanent basis unlike in 2011? that will be an important factor, whether america has the leverage to continue leading a rack -- leading iraq in a different configuration, the decentralized but whole. it will be a very heavy left. -- lift. where the culture of political organizations lie. the kurds have always had political organization in iraq, particularly during saddam hussein's reign. on the shiite side, a lot of those were in exile and they came in and set up political organizations. you don't have that on the sunni side. when isis leaders of the syrian awakening, that took away any kind of structure i

all of our gains melted away qaeda and isis in iraq, who are really the same guys. when you look at the city today, it kind of breaks your heart that we saw what was possible. in taking ramadi back a few months ago, the city was destroyed in the process. hopefully, that will not happen in mosul, too. i think what was possible is when you get the population on i don't think that has been followed. i think the problems in iraq remain because there is still not lyrical reconciliation. >> there is a lot of pressure on iraqi security forces. americans are advising and assisting. you have worked closely with them in the past. do they have what the take -- what it takes to get the job done? >> one of my fellow battalion commanders used to say the iraqis are the bravest where we are the strongest. they do need some he happened a couple of years ago with the rise of isis was the iraqi government's sectarian policies took all the good leaders who happened to be sunnis and purged them from the military. you're only as good as your leaders. i think they have built some leadershi

we've been in iraq over 10 years. we're going to train them. and when they come to the fight, they throw down their weapons in iran. we've been there losing, losing lives, causing lives. will they fight the battle for them? they fight their own battle. we been training and assisting iraqis for over 10 years, and ain't nothing changed. they still got -- well, they got elite fighters. what i see tv, being there pushing them, they will never fight. host: got your question. general townsend on the end game and the concerns about doing the same thing over and over again in iraq. guest: yeah, thanks there. i've heard that definition as well. i would suggest we're not doing the same thing over and over again. to your point we've again in iraq for more than 10 years, we were there in 2003 to 2011, and then we left. we left because the government of iraq didn't desire us to be here anymore. they invited us back in 2011. so there's the fist thing that we're doing differently than last time. we're here at the invitation of the government of iraq. i'll tell

him the role of iran in iraq. i posited the possibility that iran does not really want a unified iraq. it actually might be quite comfortable with a fragmented iraq and certainly an iraq in which the sunni areas are no longer really part of the political system. he, referencing other experts, dismissed this possibility out of hand. it came back to me, one of the comments that the ambassador just made, about iranian interests. i wonder if you can discuss this. do you agree a fragmented weak iraq or assume they ultimately want to see a unified iraq. at least on that narrow area we have a shared interest. >> going back to 2013, i argued iran needs the threat of isis to stay in iraq. it needs the threat of isis to stay in syria back to your point, the force is able to mobilize iraqi shia militias to go to syria. they didn't go to raqqah, they want to aleppo, other places, places that is would shore up assad regime, go after u.s.backed rebels. they were comfortable working with the air force already and some leader have

ambassador in iraq. next on "pbs newshour weekend." >> pbs newshour weekend is made possible by: bernard and irene schwartz. judy and josh weston. the cheryl and philip milstein family. the john and helen glessner family trust-- supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. sue and edgar wachenheim, iii. barbara hope zuckerberg. corporate funding is provided by mutual of america-- designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. additional support has been provided by: and by the corporation for public broadcasting, and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. from the tisch wnet studios at lincoln center in new york, alison stewart. >> stewart: good evening and thanks for joining us. president-elect donald trump has spent the weekend at his golf club in new jersey meeting potential cabinet members and white house staff. mister trump has been accompanied by his transition team chief, vice president-elect

presence in iraq.o you can see here in this picture congressman murtha after he's awarded the profile in courage award, embracing caroline kennedy in a very emotional ceremony. congressman murtha was also very good at bringing back dollars to western pennsylvania, supporting people in the work of the federal government here in the region. one the ways that he did that was he was involved in the appropriations committee for the interior department, which of course is the parent of the national park service. congressman murtha: in many ways our national parks represent what our greatest strengths are as a nation. the natural beauty of our great land, seemingly limitless potential, unspoiled by the ravages of man. for pennsylvania, our park lands also represent another source of economic diversification as tourists spend nearly $20 million a day throughout the commonwealth. >> in particular, he was very supportive in the 1980's of the creation of the industrial national park heritage areas. this is import

invaded iraq in 2003. >> fantastic. >> reporter: a new generation of young americans serving in iraq, five years after the u.s. government said it was leaving the country for good. >> they didn't sign up because they wanted to come fight in iraq. they signed up because they wanted to serve their country. >> reporter: american service members could be here in iraq for many months to come. the u.s. military says over 1, 500 isis militants have been killed in the battle for mosul. but elaine, the extremists are determined, and their tactics have slowed the offensive. >> holly williams with american troops in iraq. holly, thanks. >>> next, a small gesture makes a huge difference for the homeless this thanksgiving. >>> and later, this man made a difference in the lives of hundreds of women. they call him their guardian angel. i was wondering if an electric toothbrush really cleans... ...better than a manual, and my hygienist says it does. but... ...they're not all the same. turns out, they're really... ...different. who knew? i had no idea. so, she said look for... ...one that's shaped lik

around 5,000 american troops are serving in iraq, assisting in the effort to defeat isis there. for many it's their first thanksgiving away from home. holly ll >> reporter: just east of mosul we traveled with colonel brett sylvia today as he rallied troops from the 101st airborne division, dug in here for the battle against isis. >> we still have a mission here, and it's a dangerous mission, that we're here inside a combat zone. so we do say stay focused on the mission at hand. >> reporter: today they took time out from the fight -- >> happy thanksgiving. >> reporter: -- as colonel sylvia honored a long-standing military tradition. >> reporter: senior officers serving the rank-and-file soldiers their thanksgiving lunch. >> you want some stuffing? >> reporter: the troops based at this logistics hub in shaquili are only 12 miles from mosul. >> any civilian activity in any of the buildings or anything like that? >> negative. we just have like weird lights coming -- >> reporter: three days ago they witnessed a massive blast when the iraqi army detonated an isis suicide truck packed

presence in iraq. so you can see here in this picture congressman murtha after he's awarded the profile in courage award, embracing caroline kennedy in a very emotional ceremony. congressman murtha was also very good at bringing back dollars to western pennsylvania, supporting people in the work of the federal government here in the region. one the ways that he did that was he was involved in the appropriations committee for the interior department, which of course is the parent of the national park service. congressman murtha: in many ways our national parks represent what our greatest strengths are as a nation. the natural beauty of our great land, seemingly limitless potential, unspoiled by the ravages of man. for pennsylvania, our park lands also represent another source of economic diversification as tourists spend nearly $20 million a day throughout the commonwealth. >> in particular, he was very supportive in the 1980's of the creation of the industrial national park heritage areas. this is impo

invaded iraq in don't know very much about america's recent history here. but five years after the u.s. said it had left iraq for good there are now around 6,000 american service members back in the country again. private first class patrick meehan from pepperell, massachusetts is part of the security detail for the senior officers who work in the camp's command center, launching air strikes on isis. the idea is that you could give your life to protect senior officers. >> reporter: is that scary? >> no, ma'am. not really. >> reporter: big jobs resting on very young shoulders. specialist monique freek, a 22-year-old from goldsboro, north carolina is one of three cooks at the camp who will cater thanksgiving lunch for 150 from this tiny kitchen. >> we have ham, turkey, greens, corn on the cob, green beans. thankful to her grandfather, who also served as a military cook, inspiring her to enlist. >> i said i want to be a cook. he said no you don't. yes, i do. no, you don't. yes, i do. he says i'm telling you you really don't. i said no, i really do. and they gav

i think there's grounds for hope in iraq. let me give some history of why we might have those grounds and then go policy implications going forward. first, really consistently, ever since 2003 and even today, most iraqi arabs want a unified iraq and see themselves as iraqis. what the form of that unified iraq is, a strongly federal iraq versus decentralized iraq, that's up for grabs. but number one, they view themselves as iraqi. second, in 2010 or so when we were preparing for u.s. withdrawal, the big concern or a big concern was the kurdish arab flash point. well, it was a point, but it never flashed. there was small disagreements, but nothing terrible ever happened between the kurds and the arabs in any disputed territories. if you think back to when the kurdistan region was on its rampage with penn oil contracts and it had the coup of giving six different exploration blocks to exxon, three of which were in disputed territories, well, initially the political class was just outraged. then within six months, maybe a year, cer

they were children when the us invaded iraq in 2003..a new generation of young americans, serving in iraq five years after the us government said it was leaving for good. "they didn't sign up because they wanted to come fight in iraq they signed up because they wanted to serve their country.." "american service members could be here for many months to come. the u-s military says 1500 isis fighters have been killed in the battle for mosul - but the extremists are determined, and their tactics have slowed the offensive. holly willliams, cbs news, northern iraq". if you're watching your weight, the holidays are tough, right? today you may be feeling a little bit of diet remorse. experts say overindulging on diet. if you are watching your diet, it is helpful to not hang onto too many goodies after the holiday is over. you can keep the turkey and veggies but give away those pies. and don't beat yourself up about overindulging on a holiday because it's not something you're doing every day. experts say you can also help yourself out during holiday meals by remembering to eat until you are ab

i think there's grounds for hope in iraq. let me give some history of what we might have those grounds and then go policy applications going forward. first, really consistently ever since 2003 and even today, most iraqi arabs want a unified iraq. they may identify as sunnis or shiites but they identify as iraqis. what the form of a unified iraq is, strongly federal iraq versus some type of decentralized iraq and that's up for grabs. number one, they view themselves as iraqi. second, in 2010 or so when we were preparing for u.s. withdrawal the big concern or a dickens was the kurdish arab flashpoint. it was a point but it never flashed. there was small disagreements but nothing terrible ever happened between the kurds and the arabs. in any of the disputed territories. the third historical grounds our accommodation can be reached is if you think back to win when kurdistan region was on its rampage with independent all contracts and add the coup of getting six different exploration blocks exxon, through which were in disputed ter

invaded iraq in 2003. >> fantastic. >> reporter: a new generation of young americans serving in iraq five years after the u.s. government said it was leaving the country for good. >> they didn't sign up because they wanted to come fight in iraq. they signed up because they >> reporter: american service members could be here in iraq for many months to come. the u.s. military says over 1,500 isis militants have been killed in the battle for mosul. but, elaine, the extremists are determined, and their tactics have slowed the offensive. >> quijano: holly williams with american troops in iraq. holly, thanks. next on the cbs evening news, a small gesture makes a huge difference for the homeless this thanksgiving. and later, this man made a difference in the lives of hundreds of women. they call him their guardian when heartburn hits, fight back fast with tums smoothies. it starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ? tum -tum -tum -tum ? smoothies! only from tums ? when you have $7.95 online u.s. equity trades a isn't just what you inv

, determined, and their tactics have slowed the offensive. >> holly williams with american troops in iraq. holly, thanks. >>> next, a small gesture makes a huge difference for the homeless this thanksgiving. >>> and later, this man made a difference in the lives of hundreds of women. >>> in one of the country's richest cities thousands have no place to stay this thanksgiving. as their population grows, john blackstone reports on an effort to make their lives just a little more manageable. >> reporter: the latest count of homeless in los angeles shows the city has more than 43,000 angeles makeshift dwellings spread for block after block. few outsiders regularly walk these forbidding streets, but raquel beard has. >> people are dying every day here. the drug trade and drug usage is just out of control. property thefts are through the roof. >> reporter: she worked with the association of business owners in the skid row area who are being overwhelmed by the homeless. >> and there's no community outcry about that. >> reporter: because other people don't see it. >> out of sight, out of mind, le

3 to 4 million displaced in iraq? that's enough to deal with for now. >> just add something quickly. there seems to be an interesting week in terms of refocusing that question of refugees, particularly from syria. i want to point to two items, one that lebanon has new political leadership this week and the feeling about syrian refugees is quite contrary to the very constructive argument you just made about option said that could be pursued to their benefit within their adopted countries. i think lebanon is very much headed in a direction right now that could make that problem more acute. so, i'm refocusing right now upon regional hugs where refugees are collecting and less upon europe, which i have been focusing on in recent months. the other place where i point is morocco. morocco is having a weird protest movement right now that i think also speaks to the fact that one of the original arteries for syrian refugees escaping was to algeria and from algeria where they couldn't stay on their visas from syria, that were ge

. >>> across the border, about 6,000 american troops are in iraq helping in the fight against isis. over the holiday weekend, holly williams spent time with some of them. >> they've spent months away from home, aiding in the fight against isis on the other side of the world.?. >> happy thanksgiving. how are >> their thanksgiving lunch wasn't shared with family.?but with their brothers and sisters in the armed forces. and when we asked some of the roughly 6000 u.s. service members currently in iraq what they're thankful for - many of them spoke of their loved ones. major rebecca dimuro white and captain jeremy white were grateful just to be together for a few hours at thanksgiving, mosul. they've only been married five months. >> so you're intentionally together here in iraq. this was the only place you could be together? >> yes. kind of. >> it just worked out that way. >> major steven bryant serves as a chaplain, ministering to the spiritual needs of soldiers of all religions. but on his third tour of duty in iraq he's thankful for something rather practical: cell phones. >> i think

of holdings in the city mosul here in iraq. is critical.osul you mentioned, what are we doing in syria. we are with our partners in a march to the city of raqqa. : -- guest: what we are going to do is take that city and give it back to the people. tot this will do is a lot discredit, destroy the narrative of basil. isil. mythology has depended upon having this quasi-state. when they lose that, it does a lot to sway their narrative. as a terrorist organization. sul? happens after mo ison't think that isil completely destroyed with the liberation. isil will persist. keepartners will have to working to reduce that threat. what we are ultimately working for is reducing the threat of localere and helping the forces handle it on themselves without a lot of help from me coalition. host: you talk about after we kicked them out we will give it back to the rightful owners. who do you think the rightful owners are right now amid a civil war with several different rubble groups against the syrian government? guest: first of all, we are not

army in iraq from april 2003 to february 2004. also here daniel anfang, he served in the marines in fallujah in 2004, currently holds the rank of sergeant. david myers also served in the marine corps as a first lieutenant. i am pleased to have all of them here to talk about iraq as they see it, the war as they see it, the issues that they see and what those of us at home ought to know about the soldiers in iraq and the war that they are engaged in and what their own feelings and their own understanding of mission is, so i welcome all of you. >> thank you. let me, paul, begin with you. tell me, what ought we know from your perspective about the men and women who are fighting the war? >> well, they're fantastic. i think they're really doing our country so proud in so many different ways. they are without a doubt the final force we've ever fielded. they're educated, dynamic, passionate, they're really trying to do their best every day, but they're also in a tough spot. i think they recognize that and they're trying to make do with a d

troops in erbil, iraq. >> they spent months away from home fighting against isis on the other side of the world. their thanksgiving lunch was not shared with family but with their brothers and sisters in the armed forces. and when we asked some of the roughly 6,000 u.s. service members currently in iraq what they are thankful for many of them spoke of their loved ones. major rebecca white and captain jeremy white were grateful to be together for a few hours at thanksgiving meeting up in a military staging area around 10 they have been married five months. >> so you are intentionally together in iraq this is the only place that you could be together. >> yes, somewhat, yes. >> it worked out that way. >> at camps where the u.s. military shares a command center with the iraqi army watching air strikes against isis, steven bryant serves as a chaplin. needs of soldiers of all religions of the but on his third tour of duty in iraq, he is thankful for something practical. cellphones. >> i think what is different this time is communications. it gives me the opportunity to express that to my gi

i turn 20 in january and i turn 20 in iraq. >> he told us he had never been outside of california until he enlisted a year ago. now he is a guard at the camp in a country that could not be anymore foreign. >> this is a humbling experience. the experience to be able to come and be other people live and people think they need in the states kids this is all they know. so no socks, no shoes running around playing soccer crazy. but i'm thankful for. >> his life no country will ever be perfect and america will always have its problems but in a world where there are 60 million people forced from their live in despair count ourselves lucky. specialist monique from north carolina has the relentless optimism that is infectious. one of a team of three cooks she feeds 150 soldiers everyday from this small kitchen. >> something i'm passionate about. food tells a story like nothing else can. >> dickerson: holly williams in iraq. vin scully spent 67 years as the voice of the los angeles dodgers. >> it's time for dodger baseball! >> before he retired this year. last week, the president awarded him the

we've been in iraq over 10 years. we're going to train them. d when they come to the fight, they throw down their weapons in iran. we've been there losing, losing ives, causing lives. will they fight the battle for them? they fight their own battle. we been training and assisting iraqis for over 10 years, and ain't nothing changed. they still got -- well, they got elite fighters. what i see tv, being there pushing them, they will never fight. host: got your question. general townsend on the end game and the concerns about doing the same thing over and ver again in iraq. guest: yeah, thanks there. i've heard that definition as well. i would suggest we're not doing the same thing over and over again. to your point we've again in iraq for more than 10 years, we were there in 2003 to 2011, and then we left. we left because the government of iraq didn't desire us to be here anymore. they invited us back in 2011. so there's the fist thing that we're doing differently than last time. we're here at the invitation of the government of iraq. i'll tell you

members could be here in iraq for many months to come. the u.s. military says over 1500 isis militants have been killed in the battle for mosul. but, elaine, the extremists are determined, and their tactics have slowed the offensive. >> quijano: holly williams with american troops in iraq. holly, thanks. next on the cbs evening news, a small gesture makes a huge difference for the homeless this thanksgiving. and later, this man made a dien hundreds of women. they call him their guardian when heartburn hits, fight back fast with tums smoothies. it starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ? tum -tum -tum -tum ? smoothies! only from tums ? when you have $7.95 online u.s. equity trades lower than td ameritrade, schwab, and e-trade, vest in, but who you invest with. (sfx: park rides, music and crowd sounds) oooh! when your pain reliever stops working, your whole day stops. (sighs sadly) try this. only aleve can stop pain for 12 hours. plus, aleve is recommended by more doctors than any other brand

a promise was made. ge that stormed the desert in iraq. a bond that patrolled door-to-door in fallujah. an iou that braved ieds in kandahar. a promise was made. to america's veterans. a promise we all must keep. dav fights for all veterans and their families so they get the health care, financial benefits and support they earned. if your'e a veteran who needs help, or you'd like to help us keep the promise, captioning funded by cbs >>> it's friday, november 25th, 2016. this is the "cbs morning news." shoppers scrambling for the best deals of the holiday season, but is it worth it? >>> president-elect trump tweets he is working hard, even on thanksgiving. what that might mean for thousands of american workers. >>> and remembering a lovely lady. florence henderson, best known as mom to the brady bunch, has died at the age of 82. ? one day when the lady

that is troops in iraq. holly williams introduces us to the 101st airborne division stationed at camp swift near mosul. >> reporter: they're fresh-faced. many of them not long out of high school. >> radio check, over. >> reporter: and they're america's soldiers in the fight against isis, serving with the camp swift in northern iraq. >> this is my first time out of the u.s. i didn't leave california until i went to basic to georgia. so. >> reporter: it's a long way from home for private first class onay beam, a 19-year-old from fontana, southern california on his first tour of duty. >> this is my first one. you know, i came out of basic, couple months aerosol school stuff like, that then straight here. >> reporter: private beam and many others at camp swift were children when the u.s. invaded iraq in 2003 and told us they don't know very much about america's recent history here. but five years after the u.s. said it had left iraq for good there are now around 6,000 american service members back in the country

isis in iraq has resentment of the sunnis in the area's towns across the country toward shiite led government in baghdad. he's using a well-worn path here. there was also more classicc jihadist rhehetoc about the role of outside powers as well. baghdad he attacking the role of turkey and saudi arabia. those are both mainly sunni muslim countries. they have decided to join the western operation against isis in iraq. according to isis parlance saudi arabia and turkey are apostates and traders. this is classic jihadist rhetoric. we heard this from the likes of al qaeda also attacking saudi arabia as traders because they are sunni muslims. : for attacks against saudi arabia and turkey. >> exactly. retaliation against isis cells in those countries perhaps. alslso trying to bolster support which seems maybe flagging around the world. he referred to several places outside iraq and syria were isis is active especially libya but also afghanistan and somalia. he calls this place is -- these places pillars of the caliphate. mosul the pillars of the caliphate? he doesn't. this is almost an admission of w

military in iraq. -- rykoff off is the is the author of this book. he served in the u.s. army from able to thousand three december 2004. from april 2003, to december 2004. i am pleased to have them here to talk about iraq as they see it, the war as they see it, the issues they see, and what those of us at home to know about the soldiers in iraq and the war they are engaged in and what their own feelings and what their own understanding of mission is, so i welcome all of you. >> thank you. charlie: paul, let me begin with you. tell me, what should we know from your perspective about the men and women who are fighting the war? they are fantastic. they are doing our country so proud in so many different ways. they are without a doubt the finest. they are dynamic and passionate, really trying to do their best everyday, but also in a tough spot. they recognize that and are trying to make do with a difficult situation, difficult operating environment, and i think the detached american public -- charlie: because they don't understand? paul: they are not personally connected. less

there was a case to be made we could have done a good job in iraq and maybe we started to do the job by 2007-2008 but we going without proper planning and prepared for what we were doing. the job in nish÷÷÷÷ afghanistan. the only place in iraq, two major nationbuilding operations, and move on to another. >> what about afghanistan accused >> i argue in the book and i believe this firmly that in late 2001-2000 to the people of afghanistan had a history in the 60s and 70s. nation any of us want to live in but a functioning nationstate, wanted to go back to the negotiation process and we took our eyes off the ball, diver resources to iraq and we will rue that decision. >> host: any place else in the world the us is nationbuilding? >> we are in libya, we served a long serving dictator, qaddafi, for decades, we have been working closely along with our allies, a traditional counsel made of various rebel forces so we are part of this process. >> then we are involved in nationbuilding doesn't mean military occupation, we are part of this process and if nationbuilding failed in libya our milita

. >>> across the border about 6,000 american troops are in iraq helping in the fight against isis. over the holiday weekend holly williams spent time with some of them. >> reporter: they've spent months away from home, aiding in the fight against isis on the other side of the world. >> happy thanksgiving. how are you? >> reporter: their thanksgiving lunch wasn't shared with family. sisters in the armed forces. >> stuffing? >> yes. >> reporter: and when we asked some of the roughly 6,000 u.s. service members currently in iraq what they're thankful for, many of them spoke of their loved ones. major rebecca de niro white and captain jeremy white were grateful just to be together for a few hours at thanksgiving, area around ten miles east of mosul. they've only been married five months. so you're intentionally together here in iraq. this was the only place you could be together. >> yeah. kind of. >> it just worked out that way. >> reporter: major steven bryant serves as a chaplain. ? ministering to the spiritual needs of soldiers of all religions. but on his third tour of duty in iraq