President Barack Obama declared an end to the Iraq war Oct. 21, and announced that all American troops would be coming home before the New Year.

There are currently about 40,000 American soldiers in Iraq and are scheduled to exit the country in agreement with the covenant between the countries in 2008 when Bush was still in office. When the 2008 agreement was passed, many officials thought it would be renegotiated so troops could stay longer.

These past months Washington and Iraqi leaders have been discussing the possibilities of thousands of American troops staying longer to continue training the Iraqi security forces to protect their aerospace while they rebuild, giving them a bigger chance of stability and success.

“Over the next two months our troops in Iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home,” Obama said in an interview with the Associated Press. “The last American soldier will cross the border out of Iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops.”