Serving in Iraq is like being a cowboy on a cattle drive, says Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, former head of the Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq. Momentum is building, but it's hard keeping everything going in the right direction.

During a recent trip to Tampa, he expressed enthusiasm about the political and military progress being made in Iraq, but he wants everyone to know the challenge is difficult.

"The metaphor for this effort is the cattle drive," he told Tribune editorial writer Jim Beamguard. "We're in a sense trying to build the herd, strengthen the trail bosses, repel the attacks of the bad guys out on the flank of the herd.

"The bad guys are sometimes inside the herd. We have to deal with the rugged terrain, the occasional explosions and lightning. The truth is, it's more of a stampede.

"Someone found this Frederick Remington print called 'The Stampede,' which is a wonderful depiction of this cowboy who is riding flat-out to turn the herd, and there's a lightning bolt in the sky and it's raining sideways. And his brim is back.

"So we actually called it the Mesopotamian Stampede. We made little prints of it. We would give it to departing officers, with an inscription of their name, and 'one of the great outriders of the Mesopotamian Stampede.' "

Petraeus is now commanding general of the Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. Following a speech to ROTC cadets at the University of Tampa, Petraeus discussed the situation in Iraq.

The Challenge

It's like trying to build the world's largest airplane, while in flight, and while it's being shot at. I left Iraq two months ago. [Before leading the transition team] I led the 101st Airborne Division in combat in Iraq.

The bottom line, the Iraqi security forces have made very substantial progress, but there's clearly a lot ahead for them still. It's an enormous undertaking to help a country establish all of its army, navy, air force, marines, police, special police, border guards; it goes on and on.

It's not just the infantryman, who is the tip of the spear. You have to make sure that the ministries can provide the level of support necessary for the soldiers who are in the field, to ensure that they're paid on time. That there are policies that are equitable.

We deliberately focused initially on the fighting forces. And then have slowly increased the focus on the supporting institutions, medical units, military police, maintenance units. It's a long-term endeavor. You can see the progress over time.

Twenty-four [Iraqi battalions] have taken over their own area of operations. They are able to shoulder the burden of security by themselves. It's an enormously complex and challenging undertaking under any circumstances. And we do it with an insurgency trying to blow up every step of the process.

This really is about how you achieve a government that is inclusive, and that will foster a politically environment that will reduce substantially any support people provide to terrorists.

Training To Fight Terror

We have changed dramatically. There is a counterinsurgency manual. The National Training Center out in the Mojave Desert is the best example. It used to be big, huge tank battles. Now they figure out a way to replicate terrorists, insurgents, explosive devices, suicide bombers and all the rest of that They create noise and light that is akin to Hollywood special effects.

When I went back [to West Point], 100 days before they graduated in 2004, there was a degree of focus and intensity that you could feel. They were clearly focused on being as ready as they could be for the awesome responsibility of leading America's sons and daughters in combat.

I think it is very likely that some of these cadets will serve at some point. Gen. [John P.] Abizaid, commander of Central Command, uses the term "the long war." I think that that's an appropriate term.