CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- With preparations ongoing for our unit's upcoming move to another camp, things here at Camp Fallujah are moving at a fast pace.

Marines have steadily been removing sandbags, conducting inventory, throwing out trash, and consolidating rooms. Leaders with the sections have been coordinating logistics to make sure operations go uninterrupted.

Our move is part of a plan to turn security of the al Anbar Province over to the government of Iraq this week. The Iraqi police force, nearing 30,000 policemen, has made tremendous progress in the region, freeing us up to serve in an advisory role.

Needless to say, there has been little time for extracurricular activities.

But one thing other service members and I did not miss out on was the Olympics. Whether we caught the games at the gym, at the chow hall, while waiting in line at medical, at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation facility, or, for the more fortunate folks, on TV sets in their office, we kept tabs on U.S. competitors.

It was unusual to be in a foreign country and rooting for your countrymen. It seemed to give us a little extra sense of pride when our teams won gold, which they did often during the games.

At the gym, while running on the treadmill, I watched the U.S. women's soccer team running the field against Spain. There is no air conditioning in our cardio tent, and the temperature was well above 110 degrees. But I thought about how tiring it must be to play 90 minutes of soccer against the world's top teams, and it motivated me to finish my workout despite wanting to quit a little early.

And when the U.S. women finally scored and held on to win gold, I felt like we had both accomplished our goal, theirs a much greater feat.

We also shared some of the disappointment when our teams fell short of medaling or winning gold.

Just hours before the women won gold in soccer, many of us were stunned to see the U.S. women's softball team upset by Japan.

Don't get me wrong -- they should be very proud (and we are proud of them) for winning silver. But we, especially as Marines, understand the desire to be number one.

The disappointment could be seen all over the faces of those ladies, but there is nothing for them to be ashamed of. Even we Marines do not always come out on top in every skirmish or battle, but it is our sense of pride that keeps us fighting, just as it should be their sense of pride that keeps them playing.

I guess that's another reason we took so much interest in the Olympics. We understand all of the sweat, blood, and tears it takes to achieve one's goals.

We understand the sacrifices made by those who served before us to get us where we are today, just as I'm certain the Olympic athletes understand the sacrifices of those who competed before them.

Of course we all seek self-satisfaction, but there's one thing I believe keeps us both, Olympic athletes and the U.S. military, going when things get tough -- pride in our nation.

Staff Sgt. Higgins grew up in Mosheim and joined the Marine Corps in 1997 as an infantryman.

After four years of service, he did a lateral move into the Corps' public affairs field and now serves as public affairs chief for Regimental Combat Team 1, I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD).

The team's area of responsibility covers a large portion of Iraq's al Anbar Province, which includes cities such as Fallujah, Ramadi and Habbaniyah.

The first of his periodic reports from Iraq was published in The Greeneville Sun on July 29.