text: when were the first american troops sent to iraq?   the first us troops actually entered iraq in september of 1942 to fly p-39 aircobras to the soviets as part of the "lend-lease" program in wwii,then us special forces in 1984 to help train hussien's republican guard against the irainians, then in march of 1991 ground troops for operation desert storm, but as far as operation iraqi freedom, it was march of 2003.