The reconstituted Iraqi army took another step Sunday toward leading stabilization efforts in its own country, opening its first national headquarters since the U.S.-led invasion.

The Iraqi Ground Forces Headquarters was inaugurated by a “small group of Iraqi and Coalition dignitaries” at an undisclosed location in Baghdad, according to Multi-National Force-Iraq officials Monday.

A rebuilt Iraqi military — capable of confronting the months-long insurgency on its own — has become the cornerstone requirement for U.S. troops to leave Iraq, U.S. military commanders have repeatedly said.

While U.S. officials place the number of trained and equipped Iraqi army troops near 100,000, official reports and anecdotal evidence from U.S. trainers in country say there is a lot of work to be done.

In the $82 billion supplemental budget request for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon said 90 Iraqi battalions have been created so far. But, the report concedes, “All but one of these 90 battalions … are lightly equipped and armed and have very limited mobility and sustainment capabilities.”

Nonetheless, Iraqi and American officials took Sunday’s ceremony as a beginning of positive development.

“We are celebrating today a historical event and the rebuilding of the Iraqi army. Having the headquarters of our ground forces here is an indication of the Iraqi army controlling its own destiny,” Iraqi Ground Forces commander Gen. Abdul Qadir Jassim said, according to the statement.

“Our streets have been covered in blood, and we want to clean this place with the help of our friends the Americans.”

Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, commander of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, agreed.

“As soon as you feel you are ready, we will hand over operations,” he was quoted as saying in Monday’s release. “And the coalition will return to their own countries.”