Subdued Fourth for U.S. troops

It was Staff Sgt. Edgar Covarrubias' second Fourth of July in Iraq. No family barbecue, no fireworks, but Covarrubias said he would call his mom, wife and children anyway.

Across Iraq, America's Independence Day was a workday-as-usual for most U.S. troops. But the military threw in home cooking at larger bases with ribs, corn on the cob and red, white and blue cake.

The holiday fare was leaner at smaller outposts closer to the violence: a can of meat and some cookies. Celebration was not on the menu.

"We are not going to stop our operations to celebrate the Fourth of July," said Sgt. Mark Johnson at a small joint American-Iraqi outpost in the city of Iskandariya, about 30 miles south of Baghdad.

"Nothing special is planned for today, and that's OK, because we didn't expect anything," he said. Johnson, 26, from Waterport, N.Y., is with the 3rd Infantry Division.

He will head home this month on a midtour break to be with his girlfriend when she gives birth to their first child.

Things were quiet at the outpost Friday, giving the men who were off duty time to watch movies on their laptops and send instant messages to friends at home.

"It is the same every day since we got here in October," said 1st Lt. William Kuebler, 24, who is nine months into his 15-month tour in Iraq.

"The holidays are not important," said the 101st Airborne Division officer from Moville, Iowa.

It was a bit more festive at Forward Operating Base Warhorse in Baquba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. There was a special menu in the chow hall and a three-on-three basketball tournament.

Before hitting the court, Covarrubias, of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, planned to call his wife and children, as well as his mom to wish her a happy birthday.

"If I was home, I'd get together with my family and barbecue, and we'd have carne asada," Covarrubias said.

The 29-year-old from Hawthorne (Los Angeles County) said that although he misses his family, the holiday still made him feel good.

"For me, on the Fourth of July, you remember there's people out there that think about you out here," Covarrubias said.

For others, the day was a reminder of their duty to their country.

At Camp Victory outside Baghdad, 1,215 troops from the Army, Marines and other services re-enlisted in a mass swearing-in ceremony led by top U.S. war commander Gen. David Petraeus.

Before an immense American flag hung in the rotunda of the palace headquarters of the U.S. military in Iraq, the troops saluted Petraeus, then sang "God Bless America."

At Base Warhorse, Sgt. Jacob Fultz, 22, of Gardner, Kan., was focused on the day's meaning.

"It's kind of like the fight's never over," he said. "It started on July 4, 1776, and now it's 2008."