Video: Last of U.S. troops leaving Iraq

>>> now to the war in iraq which the u.s. declared officially over this past thursday after nearly nine years, $800 billion, and some 4,500 american lives lost. now, with the last of the u.s. troops are heading home to their families just in time for the holidays. we'll get more now from nbc's chief foreign correspondent, richard engle.

>> a last roll call before going home . the u.s. military command closed last week in baghdad, but troops are still leaving iraq, crossing the border and coming here to kuwait .

>> this was, you know, so nice to be able to leave the country.

>> kuwait is the official outprocessing center where the war began nine years ago is where it is ending. kuwait 's lob 58 is now being described as the world's biggest parking lot. it's packed with $8 billion worth of vehicles.

>> it's coming all here. it's getting put on the property book and making sure we can account for all the equipment.

>> but not quite everything is going back. the military estimates about $220 billion worth of equipment is staying in iraq. transferred to the iraqi government . for the troops in kuwait , the procedure is all relatively simple, but can seem boring and slow. most of the troops spend about five days in kuwait , turning in gear, filling out paperwork, packing and loading. until, finally, a preflight inspection. then, as they pass a sign that reads freedom, the troops move to a holding pen, ironically called lockdown. with home so close and a war at their backs, kuwait can feel like the worst five-day layover. but the flights do eventually come. and after a war that tested and at times tore our nation, the army is going home . richard engle, nbc news, kuwait .

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45707206/

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