NOT THE RETURN TO BUT THE FOUNDING OF NORMALCY:

Baghdad Zoo is a draw again: With the help of U.S. troops, a sanctuary that was damaged and depleted by the onset of the war is revived. (Ann M. Simmons, 12/30/07, Los Angeles Times)

But in 15 months, [Capt. Amy ] Cronin and her unit, the 15th Brigade Support Battalion, have gone from providing logistics and supplies to U.S. troops to helping refurbish an animal clinic, building horse stables and constructing new habitats for bears and porcupines at the Baghdad Zoo.

"It's really satisfying," said Cronin, 28, from Boiling Springs, Pa. "Typically support soldiers don't get to interact with Iraqis as much as infantry would. And this gives me the satisfaction of seeing the direct results of my work."

That has included projects to resuscitate the zoo, in a lush 3-square-mile park in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which also includes the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition forces, the Iraqi parliament and other key administrative buildings. It used be among the largest animal sanctuaries in the Middle East.