Some Ohio Valley residents say the U.S. should not have been in Iraq in the first place, while others believe U.S. combat forces should stay longer.

While combat forces retreat, 50,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq in an advisory role.

Regardless of people's differences in opinion about the war, everyone NEWS9 spoke with Tuesday morning said seeing so many troops return home is a good thing. They said instead of looking at Tuesday as a "mission accomplished," they think it is a step in the right direction.

President Barack Obama will address the nation around 8 p.m. about the troop withdrawal. The speech will be broadcast live on WTOV9 and WTOV9.com.

Earlier Tuesday, Iraq's prime minister proclaimed the country as "sovereign and independent" and praised the strides made in security and fighting terrorism in Iraq.

One Iraq vet said the healing process for those returning home can begin now.

"A lot of families need to time to understand what their loved ones (have) been through. All these multiple deployments are tearing families apart, so I think it's a good thing that it finally ended and we can start the healing process," said Dominique Tisdale, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran.

A total of six brigades will remain in Iraq after Tuesday and will focus on training and advising Iraqi troops. The Obama administration said all U.S. military should be out of Iraq by the end of 2011.