Marine Cpl. Cole R. Young, a 21-year-old infantryman from Steeleville, Ill., finds himself swarmed by Iraqi children in a market area in downtown Najaf, Iraq, during a patrol of the city the day after Iraq?s parliamentary elections. After weeks of training Iraqi Security Forces, the Marines of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) stood down their patrols for Sunday?s historic elections after the top Marine commander here determined the night before that the city was in good hands with local police and soldiers. According to various reports, nearly 85-percent of Najaf's 430,000 eligible voters visited the polls to cast their ballot. ?People were very excited about voting. I could not sleep the night before. I couldn?t wait to vote,? said Iraqi Police Officer Warrant Officer Jasem Mohammad, 38, displaying his purple ink-stained index finger. ?It?s the first time we have a democracy ? in all of Middle East.? For the 2,200 some Marines assigned to An Najaf and Karbala Provinces, Sunday?s elections served as the culminating event to nine months of hard work; a final ?mission completed? before they begin departing Iraq to return to their home base at Camp Pendleton, Calif.