Team Beef and our Iraqi battalion have hit our stride and were riding a wave of success that we could not have imagined when we deployed here last September.

The past few months here in Iraq has shown a significant improvement in the security situation overall.

In our area north of Baghdad, our Iraqi Army battalion has continued to perform well by detaining wanted individuals and working with the local populace.

The campaign has progressed to the point that we are becoming increasingly focused on civil projects like providing security for end-of-term final exams, delivering supplies to schools and hosting day-long medical clinics to provide care and medicine to the locals.

Additionally, we hear reports that the Iraqi Security Forces are performing well against al Qaida Iraq in Mosul and against militias in Basra and other Shia enclaves around Baghdad. The final thorn in the overall security situation was the Jaesh Al Mahdi (Mahdi Army) stronghold in Sadr City.

Since March, U.S. and Iraqi security forces had been fighting Shia militia and extremists in this slum in eastern Baghdad.

They had entered the southern quarter of the city and, after pitched fighting, succeeded in securing it and segregating it from the rest of the area by erecting a 12-foot high concrete barrier along a major roadway called "ROUTE GOLD. "

The four-lane road was the scene of daily combat as the Americans built the wall one section at a time. Daily, the militias would focus their fighters on the area that the construction had been halted the day prior.

The Americans would then be faced with clearing IEDs along the road and clearing the surrounding multiple-story buildings of armed fighters before construction could continue. Due to this extended fighting, almost every building along the roadway was razed.

The area south of the wall has benefited from its isolation. Civil services started, the area was cleaned up and normal life resumed as talks between the Iraqi Government and JAM regarding the rest of Sadr City began.

While these negotiations were underway, our 2,000-man Iraqi Brigade received a warning order to deploy to a base on the south east side of the city to prepare for offensive operations.

Our battalion, however, would remain in its current area to continue its work here. However, as the talks dragged on, a fellow adviser team 's time in Iraq was running out and we were sent to cover their battalion while the replacement team completed some mandatory training. With 24 hours notice, Team Beef relocated to advise a new battalion as they prepared to move into Sadr City.

We arrived to find that the timeline for the operation had been accelerated and the Iraqi Army was beginning to move towards the city to stage for the upcoming operation.

We briefly met with our new counterparts and attempted to build a relationship with the leadership. A key part of this relationship-building is done by accompanying our Iraqi battalion commander wherever he goes on the battlefield.

We can then advise him on intelligence, tactical operations and control American helicopters and other assets if needed.

By being with him, we build a strong bond with him and his unit. The Iraqi soldiers see us together and understand that if there is trouble we will be there with them.

We soon learned that this would not be the case in the upcoming fight.

As a result of the negotiations, no American forces would be allowed north of the wall. While initially frustrating, this was probably the correct choice.

Our new counterparts anticipated fighting only if Americans were with them. They honestly felt that if they were not accompanied by us, it would be safer for everyone.

They were confidant in their ability to deal with the local populace and to resolve any fighting. My team would locate with the battalion command post south of GOLD and monitor the battle as best we could.

At 5:00 a.m. on May 20, the American Army opened up several holes in the wall and six battalions of the Iraqi Army poured through.

Within an hour and a half, our new battalion had cleared halfway through the city and was establishing security checkpoints along a main road through the area.

They reported finding and disarming several dozen IEDs along the way but had not been fired upon. Later that afternoon, I was able to meet with the beaming Iraqi battalion commander. He proudly displayed photos of several of the IEDs and his soldier 's positions.

He also told me about his initial contact with the local populace who were surprisingly supportive.

They seemed to be tired of the militia 's influence, extortion and lack of civil support. Several locals asked him, "What took you so long? "

He continued by saying several shops that had been closed for weeks immediately opened, people showed his soldiers where IEDs were planted, and showered them with food, flowers and water. While some of the other battalions did meet scattered resistance, our battalion met none.

Over the next few days, the Iraqi 's began to consolidate their gains, develop intelligence and conduct detailed clearing operations looking for weapons caches.

Confiscated weapons, ammunition and explosives began to flow back to the command post several times a day as stockpiles were found and confiscated.

The four-day total in our Brigade 's area exceeded 40 of the deadly explosively formed penetrators (which the Iraqis call "Iranian IEDS "), nearly 100 assault rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and dozens of rocket-propelled grenades.

After five days, we received notification that the new adviser team was prepared to assume its mission, and we returned to our area.

Upon our return, we found that several things had changed in the week and a half we were gone.

Our battalion had continued to pursue and detain wanted individuals. Furthermore, several Shia militia members and extremists had turned themselves in.

They said they felt the time for violence was past, most of their comrades had been detained, killed or fled, and they wanted to reconcile with the government. They all understood that they would have to serve some time, but felt they needed to wipe the slate clean and start over.

While the Iraqi Army 's operations in Sadr City will continue for several months, the results are being felt around the country.

Other Shia enclaves are reporting increased security and resumed normalcy as extremists are being removed or fleeing.

Simply put, the people are tired of violence and there is a strong desire for peace and reconciliation.

The next step is cementing these gains with formal reconciliation and a resumption of civil support. There is a definite feeling that the worst is past.

Moore, of Sun Prairie, is leading a military transition team in Iraq. This is the latest of his semi-regular columns about the work of his unit, "Team Beef. "