WE'LL SEE A LOT OF THIS FROM NOW UNTIL MAY

No longer afraid of dying, thrilled to be going home and thirsty for a beer.

That's how American soldiers felt on Friday as they handed over control of a Baghdad suburb to fresh troops and prepared to return to the United States after nearly a year in Iraq.

"I'm excited, ecstatic about going home. I'm going to say hi to my family and then go out and drink a lot of beer," said Private Anthony LaPaglia, 20, from Atlanta, Georgia, a big grin on his face.

The troops from the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade are part of a massive rotation just getting under way.

And if you get the chance...perhaps you'll buy a soldier a beer yourself.