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US President Barack Obama is about to mark the end of the Iraq war with a speech at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
His address will pay tribute to the soldiers who served in the war - both those who died and veterans who returned home after long tours of duty.
More than 200 soldiers based at Fort Bragg died over the course of the nearly nine-year war.
Mr Obama announced in October that all US troops would leave Iraq by 31 December.
On Tuesday, Mr Obama was joined by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki in Washington as he said the US would still support Iraq as the two countries moved towards a more normal relationship.
US troops in Iraq peaked at around 170,000 during the height of the "surge" strategy in 2007. The last combat troops left the country in August 2010. The final US soldiers are expected to leave Iraq within days.
It is Mr Obama's first visit to Fort Bragg, and he will address those personally affected by the war - veterans and their families.
"The president looks forward to thanking the troops, thanking those who served, and discussing what that sacrifice that Americans have made means now, as the Iraq war comes to an end," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
The speech is not without political significance. Mr Obama narrowly won North Carolina in the 2008 and Republicans have criticised him for withdrawing from an unstable Iraq, although a majority of Americans support the year-end withdrawal.
The high rate of recent veteran unemployment has also been contentious - the jobless rate for veterans serving over the past decade is 2.5% higher than the national average.
BBC