As American forces scale back their presence in Iraq's major cities, local members of the armed forces are reflecting on their own time spent serving overseas.

Naval Petty Officer Timothy Crozier served two 3-month tours in Iraq not on a ship, but working a construction battalion.

Now a recruiter, Crozier has been home since 2006, but he's continued to watch the progress U.S. troops stationed in Iraq have made.

"With me being over there I did get to see firsthand how much good we're doing over there. Pretty much my outlook on it (is) we're accomplishing what we're over there to do and that's enabling us to bring troops home," he said.

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Crozier said he and other military members are dedicated to the United States and its mission.

"I'm in the United States Navy. That's what I signed up for: to serve our country. And if it requires me to go back, I'd go back in a minute," he said.

There has been an upsurge in violence in Iraq over the past two weeks. More than 250 people have been killed in a series of bomb blasts including at least 24 people Tuesday in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

About 650,000 Iraqi forces are now in charge of security in cities and towns throughout the country. Iraqi troops are patrolling the streets in their armored vehicles and celebrating what they're calling "National Sovereignty Day."