Tal Afar
Soldiers of 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry took part in Operation Sykes Hammer and patrolled the streets of Tal Afar, August 2004. They worked with the Iraqi National Guard in executing cordon and search operations in the neighborhoods of Tal Afar, which was successful in detained personnel, weapons and propaganda materials. In one year, the battalion operated in a larger area than what they had expected prior to coming to Iraq. The 3rd Brigade as a whole were called on to support major operations when violence heated up in Al Kut, Tal Afar and Najaf.