Footage from 2003 captures the immense American Shock and Awe bombing campaign against the city of Baghdad that was the precursor to the invasion of Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

It's insane to think that this footage is from 20-years ago. I would wager that some of the guys reading this text and watching the video above were sitting in Kuwait the night this happened waiting for word to pass that it was time to cross the line of departure into Iraq. Weird to finally put Operation: Iraqi Freedom into the "History" sub-section of our archive.

The following two months after this video was recorded would contain the march to Baghdad and an additional few years of tense combat operations between Coalition forces and a myriad of Iraqi insurgent groups all across the nation of Iraq.

If you're not super familiar with Operation Iraqi Freedom and the initial invasion of Iraq, I highly recommend reading the books Ambush Alley about the Battle for Nasiriyah and The March Up, Taking Baghdad with the First Marine Division. I would also highly recommend checking out the HBO Miniseries entitled Generation: Kill, which follows the Marines of 1st Recon. Some of you Army guys probably have some great book recommendations too, so let's hear them down in the comments section.

About the Author

Josh Brooks

Josh is an American writer and former USMC machine gunner with eight years of experience in ground combat arms throughout the GWOT. He is currently based in Texas and specializes in combat footage analysis and digital marketing.Follow Josh at OfficialJoshBrooks.com