04-05, Kirkuk, Iraq, I was dual carry and carried an M16A2 the first 6 months, and an M4A-sumthin' the second 6 months. Plus an M9 the whole time. Kept the M9 in a drop holster because I was dismounted most of the time.

10-11, Baghdad, Iraq, I was blessed with a mostly desk job and only carried an M9, no rifle. They first issued me a compact SIG M11, but I hated the way it balanced (very top heavy) and traded it with a guy who desperately wanted a SIG. Apparently the M11 was some kind of status symbol to some soldiers.

I regularly shot my M9 in Iraq the first deployment, and am a true-blue M9 believer. As long as you kept your magazines clean and with fresh springs, you were good to go. For added good measure, I downloaded the mags to 13 rounds. That last round or two is what really wears out those springs.