Iraqi pup is on American soil, bound for Minn. Wednesday

Ratchet, the most famous Iraqi pup, is officially on American soil. He arrived at Dulles International Airport "wearing a red, white and blue bandanna today on a flight from Amsterdam," according to the Associated Press. He's heading to Minnesota on Wednesday.

He jumped out of his crate, looked around and quickly flopped down on the floor of baggage claim after the long flight. A handful of reporters were there to greet him.

Operation Baghdad Pups tried twice before to get him out of Iraq on behalf of Spc. Gwen Beberg, 28, of Minneapolis.

She said she couldn't have made it through her 13-month deployment without the affectionate mutt, who she and another soldier rescued from a burning pile of trash.

Beberg's quest to get the dog gained international attention. More than 65,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Army to let the puppy go to the United States.

Ratchet will spend two nights in a kennel before flying to Minneapolis on Wednesday.

You'd think Minnesota was welcoming home every resident deployed at war that way the media is covering this. Just think if all of these people were this passionate about getting the troops home too.