On April 6, 2004, at least 12 U.S. Marines were killed by guerilla forces in Ramadi, in an apparent effort to relieve the ongoing siege of nearby Fallujah.
Ramadi was established for political reasons, but proved vital as a stop-over on the caravan routes between Baghdad and the cities of the Levant.
Ramadi is one of several Sunni-majority towns along the Euphrates River west of Baghdad that was a stronghold of support for Saddam Hussein.
At the end of Ramadi's traffic choked stretch of Highway 10, past the recovering city's sights, smells, and narrow streets lies a place where luxury is as unfamiliar as the territory.
To the north and west, Ramadi is bounded by the Euphrates River, while to the east and south it gradually disappears into suburbs.
The largest base, in the northern corner of Ramadi, is on the grounds of one of two Saddam-era palaces in the city; known first as Tactical Assembly Area Rifles and later as Camp Blue Diamond, this base was turned over to the Iraqi Army in the spring of 2006.
The 3rd ACR departed Ramadi in September 2003, handing it over to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (1st BCT, 1st ID) of Fort Riley, Kansas; however, until March, the 1st BCT fell under the command of the 82nd Airborne Division.
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