Wednesday marks the fifth anniversary since the war in Iraq began.

WBKO's Tamara Evans takes a closer look at one soldier who served in the war to get his take on the progress troops have made over the years.

Chris McKinney has been a volunteer firefighter, Kentucky's Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, and will soon begin a job with Homeland Security. However, five years ago he held a different job.

"I was still employed at the FBI at the time," says Chris McKinney.

It was on this day, March 19th, five years ago that McKinney watched the war in Iraq begin.

"I watched some CNN coverage of it. Not long after I found myself over there in the midst of all of it," says McKinney.

After serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, McKinney was awarded a bronze star from the U.S. Army.

"It was an important mission. I feel like I was honored to do my duty," says McKinney.

A mission that McKinney says appears to be long.

"It takes a long time to rebuild an economic infrastructure to give people hope when there was only despair before, to replace a government that is democratic from one that had previously been a dictatorship," says McKinney.

But a war he says is working.

"I don't know if there's a big change. I don't know if there's enough of a change. I think the recent surge has helped. I fully support our Congress and President in their efforts to continue waging this battle," says McKinney.

It’s a battle that this soldier will always support.

"I'm very hopeful that we will stay the course and help that country do what we set out starting to do five years ago," says Chris McKinney.

McKinney's time in the war and his accomplishments over the years even led to his appearance on CNN last August. McKinney's story aired on the segment "Heroes" for the Lou Dobbs Tonight Show.