James Lee, a freelance photojournalist and student at San Francisco State University, leaves the comforts of the United States today for the harsh realities of war in Iraq.

This won’t be his first trip nor his last. Lee is a former U.S. Marine with two combat deployments in Iraq.

This is his fifth embedded mission as a civilian journalist. In his new role, he seeks to capture the untold stories in Iraq and may delay his return to San Francisco State University in the fall.

This summer, he will be working on a project for a California daily newspaper and sharing his experiences in Iraq through UWIRE. Follow his journey at Iraq In Focus.