Saleh and his 4-year-old son, Mahdi, wait at the gates of Contingency Operating Base Basra Nov. 18, for word on whether American troops will help them. Mahdi was injured when an insurgent mortar attack struck his house. After an evaluation, Soldiers in COB Basra were able to schedule consultations with a neurosurgeon and an ophthalmologist for the boy. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. J. Princeville Lawrence)