Odierno served three tours in Iraq. After his first, in 2003-04 as commander of the 4th Infantry Division, he was criticized by some for overly aggressive tactics that some believed fed an insurgency. At an early high water mark, in December 2003, his soldiers involved in the capture of Iraq’s deposed president, Saddam Hussein. That success gave hope to quashing an emerging insurgency, but in 2004 the insurgency gained greater momentum and led to the deadly rise of al-Qaida in Iraq.
Odierno returned to Iraq in 2008 and served for two years as served as commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq. He then took over as the top overall U.S. and coalition commander in Baghdad, leaving in 2010 as combat was winding down. He was succeeded in that post by Gen. Lloyd Austin, who is now the secretary of defense.