Sergeant First Class Erika Strong was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from April 2003 to March 2004. She began her tour in the battle command on the move (BCOTM) as the intelligence battle captain. After major combat ended, she transitioned to being the intelligence analyst on the personal staff of Major General Raymond Odierno, the 4th Infantry Division commander. In this interview, she recounts some of the experiences of her intelligence team during the invasion and subsequent events. She then describes the battle rhythm, which included numerous briefs and site visits. Strong worked with the analysis and control element to coordinate communication and relay information. She was also involved in gathering and synchronizing human intelligence for the general, information that was valuable as the process of nation building and reconstruction involved the local sheiks and political parties. The capture of Saddam Hussein was a memorable day for her unit, and Strong herself was actually the US soldier who took the first pictures of the capture site that were subsequently disseminated by the coalition. She also recounts her unique experience of being deployed at the same time as her husband and the particular challenges that created for both of them while they were in a combat zone for a year - especially when she received word that he'd been wounded in action - and even when they returned home to the United States.

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