KHALIS, Iraq – The United States doesn’t have a military presence in Somalia (well, not one the Pentagon likes to talk about), but there’s no reason why soldiers can’t get a bit of the local flavor in Iraq.

So here’s the scene: The commander of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment was due to appear at a parade commemorating the 40th day after the death of Hussein. The platoon drove to the mayor’s office to link up with city officials. Strykers weren’t quite the right vehicle to bring to the solemn Shiite procession.

So while a few people crammed into the mayor’s SUV, the rest of the platoon (including your correspondent) piled into the bed of a few Iraqi police pickup trucks. We sped through the crowded streets of Khalis. One soldier leaned his M-4 rifle against the roof of the cab. For us in the truck – and likely a few people watching us drive past – it was a little too reminiscent of Somali militiamen tearing through Mogadishu in technicals.

We drew confused looks from Iraqis. The driver drove like a 16-year-old who just landed his license. But it was a lot more fun than riding in a Stryker.