some of these diplomats and contractors will also have military-style weapons, including mraps. this is the next controversy here. the 15,000 to 18,000 contractors staying behind and diplomats and government officials in iraq, operating on bases and looking in some ways like a military presence. >> all right. nbc's richard engle, thanks so much. we'll let you get back to watch the rest of the ceremony. appreciate your perspective this morning at baghdad international airport. >>> back at home, president obama marked the end of the conflict with a trip yesterday to the ft. bragg army base in north carolina. where u.s. troops have been involved in iraq since the very first day of the war. they're also among the final soldiers to leave the battlefield. the president hailed what he called a, quote, extraordinary achievement. >> for nearly nine years, our nation has been at war in iraq. as your commander in chief, and on behalf of a grateful nation, i'm proud to finally say these two words and i know your families agree, welcome home. [ applause ] welcome home. [ applause ] welcome h

a convoy of mraps moved into kuwait in a single file line. it left iraq without firing a shot. >> it is a piece of history. it was a privilege to be part of it. >> reporter: the last 480 troops to leave iraq following a million americans who came before them. their journey began 12 hours earlier, 200 miles north in southern iraq. at sunset at iraq's camp adder, they smoked cigars and checked every engine. then 110 vehicles were on their way in the darkness, holding a steady 35 miles an hour. >> how does it feel up there? >> good. >> reporter: until lights appeared, the kuwaiti border, and the crossing began. it is now just after sunrise here in kuwait, as the last american troops leave iraq. some of the soldiers have been waving. others taking pictures to remember this moment, the moment the iraq war ended. moments later, the gate to iraq was shut. one vehicle got special attention, the last of the last to exit iraq. this specialist from hawaii will be able to tell his friends, wife and eventually the daughter he hasn't seen since she was bor

the long convoy of mraps rolled into kuwait in an organized line. and all of the armor wasn't necessary. the troops left iraq without firing a shot. >> it felt like it was such a relief. you know you are no longer in a danger zone, and you can kind of relax, kick back, and just enjoy the ride here. >> reporter: the last 480 american soldiers to serve in iraq, following more than 1 million before them. >> this is my other battle star. >> reporter: the journey began 1,200 miles away. with just one drive left to do, they seemed excited. happy. >> puffing cigars, barbecuing. tossing footballs. >> got your back! >> reporter: and triple checking vehicles. no one wanted to break down. not on this trip. most of these troops were only teenagers when the iraq war began. many were called to serve here time after time in a few hours, they'll all be gone, ending a chapter for iraq for the troops and america. after dark, they set out, 110 vehicles protected from above by 45 aircraft. >> just want to jump in march of 2003, and now i'm honored to close out the war

the long convoy of mraps rolled into kuwait in an organized line. and all of the armor wasn't necessary. the troops left iraq without firing a shot. >> it felt like it was such a relief. you know you are no longer in a danger zone, and you can kind of relax, kick back, and just enjoy the ride here. >> reporter: the last 480 american soldiers to serve in iraq, following more than 1 million before them. >> this is my other battle star. >> reporter: the journey began 1,200 miles away. with just one drive left to do, they seemed excited. happy. >> puffing cigars, barbecuing. tossing footballs. >> got your back! >> reporter: and triple checking vehicles. no one wanted to break down. not on this trip. most of these troops were only teenagers when the iraq war began. many were called to serve here time after time in a few hours, they'll all be gone, ending a chapter for iraq for the troops and america. after dark, they set out, 110 vehicles protected from above by 45 aircraft. >> just want to jump in march of 2003, and now i'm honored to close out the war

we then got into these vehicles, mra mraps, mostly, those big bar ga gargantuan 20-ton vehicles thatwn the highway. there were no roadside bombs or any incidents of gunfire or anything like that. everyone arrived safe and sound right about the time the sun was coming up at the kuwaiti border. so it was actually a normal trip but of course it wasn't a normal trip. for everybody who was on-board they realized it was a moment in history, the war had come to an end. they were there to witness it and most of them rejoiced at that very fact. though i will point out, joe, a lot of young people who were in the army today that we went with were in grade school when the war began. some of them like 11 and 12, perhaps. quite remarkable. you don't find many from the 2003 days. >> wow, that's pretty incredible, martin savidge, our witness to history with the troops in iraq. thank you so much for that reporting. >>> the quiet -- up next, what iraq will look like without a heavy u.s. military presence. we talk to our expert panel next. when a moment might turn into something more. and when it does

i'm riding with the protection of this mrap, this very large armored vehicle we're inside but also withome military police out of ft. hood. they were the ones that provided the security for this final convoy and that's no small measure of course because there were very, very strong security concerns. that's why all the secrecy to make sure the last convoy out of iraq wasn't going to leave on december 3 s1st as set by president obama, but some weeks earlier. the idea there making sure anybody planning some sort of attack wouldn't really know when the last americans would leave. seems to have worked well. no reports of any attacks or ieds. there was a lot of cover overhead. aircraft and still traveling in convoy can be a little difficult so we are slowing down here. but for the most part, it's been a problem-free run all the way from iraq into history. martin savidge, cnn, kuwait. >> as we get close to the bottom of the hour now, getting close to "state of the union" with joe johns in for candy crowley today. >>> and also, we'll try to keep reynolds wolf from crying. >> i'm kevin olson wi

>> reporter: the gunner in the mrap i was riding in was 12 years old when the war began in 2003.that he was part of history and that is a word we are hearing a lot of of today. you can see right now this is the last group of soldiers coming into kuwait, leaving iraq. once they have cleared this final check point you can say that there are no more troops in iraq. the mood among the soldiers is one of jubilation. they are proud of what they have done. iraq is still a troubled country but if you ask the soldiers here you can see the smiles on their faces and you can understand their sense of accomplishment. >> what is next for them? do they get on planes and go straight home? i'm sure their relatives are dying to see them but i imagine it's not that easy. >> reporter: is it no that easy. these troops and there are about 480 soldiers as part of this convoy, the last convoy leaving iraq are from the first cavalry division. they go through an outprocessing procedure here in kuwait. the goal is to get the soldiers home for christmas. but what is on their minds right now is that they are

so this is the last vehicle, fittingly, perhaps, it is an mrap, one of the signature vehicles of this war brought in when the roadside bombs became so ubiquitous. let's just listen as this truck drives past. the gates are now closed. the last u.s. soldier is out of iraq. other than those who are going to be involved with embassy duties and the like. so history in the making. of course, the conversation you've been having and that we should continue to have, of course is the iraq that they are leaving behind. an iraq where it may not be officially at war, but it's certainly a long way from being at peace. >> joining us now is iraq's former national security adviser, rubai. he's in baghdad. what are your thoughts today. you're watching these images on your tv screen ipresume, right now. what is going through your mind as you watch this, mr. rubai? >> well, the onset, i have to say that a big, big thank you to the united states of america for bringing down saddam hussein. horrible, brutal regime just ended nine years ago. what happened after the -- after bringing down saddam hussein was

the rest of the mraps bypass the problem stopping later instead by the side of the road. >> make suretrade out their driverers, trade out their gunners and make sure everybody has a chance to stretch out their legs. >> reporter: eventually we make it. it has been a grinding ten hours at an average speed of just 13 kilometers or 20 miles an hour. here the convoy will spend the night. what does that mean for you? >> it means one step closer to home hopefully if everything goes as planned. >> reporter: tomorrow they'll be on the road again for the final six hours to kuwait. group photo there of the team. i should point out, military officials say there have been several ied attacks against convoys over the past six weeks that they've really been operating at full force. they say there has not been any real serious damage as a result of that. the concern is that as the number of american forces in iraq continue to go down, they believe the attacks against those convoys could rise. some groups will want to give the impression that american forces are leaving under fire. >> all right, still

we will work together to delivedevelop mrap's energy secr even as the economy diversifies energy sector even as the iraqi economy diversify spread through efforts like the fulbright program, and we are welcoming more iraqi students and leaders to america anto study and for for a chance that will bind our nations together for generations to come. we will forge more collaborations in areas like science and technology. mr. prime minister, we will discuss how the united states can help train and equip its forces not by stationing american troops there or with u.s. bases in iraq. those days are over. but rather, the kinds of training and assistance we offer to other countries. given the challenges we face together in a rapidly changing region, we also agreed to establish a new formal channel of communication between our national security advisers. finally, we are partnering for regional security. just as iraq has pledged not to interfere with other nations, other nations must not interfere in iraq's. iraq's sovereignty must be respected. there should be no doubt that the drawdown in iraq has

. >> i need to get these mraps out. >> my purpose is to get the recruits prepared for the construction training. >> what you do is get a 2 by 6 sitting on the saw horses. we will cut 10 feet. everybody going to get one and you measure up 6 inches. you sure you got 8 feet. >> as a carpenter you have to let them know what's expected and they need to know the stuff to get going on the trades. >> the main thing they need to know is how to carry the stuff on the job and the hussle. >> you can't work with the gloves. >> my part is a small part. my part is the best part. the part that really teaches them how to go out and fish rather than go to the fish market. my job is how to teach them to fish when the fish market is closed. >> this requires i thinking. when you go on the job site they will pay you 20-15, dollars an hour you have to think and figure stuff out and get the jobs done in a record time. >> one of the things we try to teach with the construction trades is your attitude going to work. how employers look on new workers and it's about profitability and productivity. it's not how mu