EL SALVADOR 380 troops, 5 military fatalities The 360 El Salvadoran soldiers in southern Iraq are all that remains from a Spanish-speaking coalition that once included soldiers from Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. By most accounts,

EL SALVADOR 380 troops, 5 military fatalities

The 360 El Salvadoran soldiers in southern Iraq are all that remains from a Spanish-speaking coalition that once included soldiers from Spain, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. By most accounts, the Salvadorans are putting on an impressive performance.

In 2004, a Salvadoran battled fiercely through an ambush set by members of Muqtada Al-Sadr's militia, fighting off insurgents with a knife after running out of ammunition. "We never considered surrender," said one of the soldiers. "I was trained to fight until the end." According to one U.S. official, "You hear this snotty phrase, 'Coalition of the Billing' for some of the smaller contingents. The El Sals? No way. These guys are punching way above their weight. They're probably the bravest and most professional troops I've ever worked with."

El Salvador's work in Iraq may be paying off back home. The country was the first country to be recommended for trade with the U.S. under a new Central American free trade agreement. And late last year, the U.S. gave El Salvador an economic development package worth nearly $500 million.

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ESTONIA 35 troops, 2 fatalities

In 2002, when discussion was underway about whether or not to support the U.S.-led invasion, Estonia was on the precipice of gaining membership in NATO. Like other former Soviet satellites, Estonia is often the subject of aggressive harassment by its former masters in Moscow, and therefore, the security assurances associated with membership hold great appeal. According to the Estonian minister of foreign affairs, the country was not willing to risk jeopardizing its NATO bid by refusing the U.S. The country achieved NATO membership in 2004 and has decided to stay in Iraq (35 soldiers in Baghdad) because of their "important partnership" with America.

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FIJI 223 troops, 20 fatalities

Fiji is not a part of the U.S. coalition, but hundreds of Fijians currently have gun-toting gigs in Iraq. Many are serving in the Fijian military, which has been officially deployed to Iraq since 2004 as part of a small contingent of UN peacekeepers. The UN specifically requested Fiji's assistance in the aftermath of the 2003 bombing of its headquarters, but the arrangement has become increasingly awkward for the international body given the Fijian military's successful overthrow of the democratically elected government in late 2006. Fijians have also found their way to Iraq by joining the British military, or by taking jobs with private security firms promising wages that cannot be matched in the island nation. One recruiter for a private security firm claimed to have a waiting list of 150 Fijians looking for work in Iraq.

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