Libra
I chose a life in the military to follow in my father's footsteps and because I really wanted to feel like I "earned" my freedom by helping to protect it. Following these footsteps has involved a number of sacrifices.
I'm watching my two-year-old son grow up in pictures, missing birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. But even more than that, my faith in humanity has suffered a pretty significant hit. You can't see the things we see and not wonder about our species.
We all pretty much knew we were headed back to Iraq since the last time my unit left Iraq, but the hard and fast truth of it, we received in October, 2006 during a field training. My wife actually learned it from the local news before I did. Feelings were pretty mixed. You don't want to leave your loved ones behind. You're also very scared, but at the same time, it's also the most exciting thing I've ever felt, so it's very unusual.
The feeling of stepping off the plane wasn't what I expected; I didn't really feel anything. We'd spent about a week in Kuwait doing busy work, so we were all pretty ready to just get down to business.
I don't think about fear on a day-to-day basis; I just try to focus on my job. I'm the gunner in a humvee, so if I freeze up, the people on my crew could die, and I do not take that lightly. I also try to remember that everyone here is scared - even the people that shoot at us. They're still human after all.
When America first went to war with Iraq, I didn't see the relation to 9/11 that others did.
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This is a very
By Richard Day Gore, June 20, 2007 at 09:06This is a very thought-provoking story; thanks for posting it. You and your fellow soldiers are in my prayers. It's a true shame that you were placed in harm's way for questionable reasons.
Richard Day Gore
I think it takes tremendous
By luyen, June 20, 2007 at 13:09I think it takes tremendous courage to write such a story, because i'm sure there's some fear of not fitting in, some reprisal for not being patriotic enough.
But courage for the ideals of humanity is true courage in my opinion, the courage to ask questions when we go too far...
I read this story and it is
By rreese1413, June 20, 2007 at 08:47I read this story and it is a confirmation of what I have believed about this war. I am a Veteran of the Army and I love this country. As a country we have the obligation to defend our country against all enemies foreign and domestic. When we ask the military to place themselves in harms way they should be able to defend themselves as well as the country. The members of the Armed Forces should only be used for Military actions, combat operations where any and all threats can be eliminated without asking a politician if it is okay. Our forces are being asked to die, suffer horrific injuries and long separations from their families so that they can go on patrols and be destroyed by hidden explosive devices triggered by a coward via a cell phone. Just like it was in Vietnam it is impossible to point to an individual and know if he is friend or foe. President Bush had a big ceremony on an Aircraft Carrier and declared the war won so why are we still there? In my opinion we are in Iraq in some futile attempt to stop a war beteen separate religious factions who have been killing themselves for centurys. Iraq was no threat to the USA. This is a personal war being waged by the President for personal reasons. Before we invaded Iraq a member of a terroist group had a snowballs chance in hell of surviving. Now we have created a breeding ground for anti-USA groups.
It looks like the Army is going to extend tours of duty again because the President wants to make the "surge" permanent there are no more troops to send. This is a hopeless quagmire just like Vietnam and we need to bring home all of our troops by years end and start to build the military up for the next real war against the USA.
Re: Iraq War: A Soldier's Side
By luyen, November 11, 2007 at 18:04Today is Remembrance day in Canada, and now that i'm a bit older and wiser *cough*, i feel like the world we live in is so full of paradoxes, and some of them very sad...- more than ever, i believe that non-violence is the only way to achieve long-term peace and stability in all circles, from the individual to nations co-existing peacefully...but i also recognize that in some situations, force is unfortunately necessary to stop further violence. Therein lies the paradox, violence required to stop violence - by then, something has already gone terribly wrong...
I hope we can figure out that that "thing" starts from the smallest of things, a rude remark, a harsh look...it all starts small and imperceptible, and leads to very young and brave men having to do very terrible things to protect freedom.
Re: Iraq War: A Soldier's Side
By russell wyllie, March 4, 2008 at 02:14Only one thing to correct you on- going AWOL is not a crime.
You obviously haven't heard of the 6000 (that's six thousand) U.S. service men and women who kill themselves every year after returning to America from Iraq.
Go to www.youtube.com/politicalvideos and educate yourself on your fallen brothers who are so mentally scarred by battle ,the sheer pressure of seeing children and women being killed for nothing, combined with the 50 degrees heat and exhaustion of 20 hour battles that has killed them, not enemy fire...
The U.S. Government has no 'medical solution' for mentally affected soldiers, and many of your returning vets are going to Canada where a more humane response to treating American soldiers is available. Your Government uses you guys like animals, except a wounded dog gets more humane treatment in some parts of the world.
6000 per year man- get your head straight and go talk to Veterans Against War.
People who join the army don't know if their nerves, brain and soul can withstand what it will be like, because everyone's different. You may think you can handle it, but with shortage of family communication, shortage of food and water, baths and clean clothes, and a year in 50 degree heat, you'll fry like an egg and probably lose your mind...
Going AWOL is heroic, and says, 'F*ck you George W. Bush the collosal maniac bastard murderer.'
Going AWOL from Iraq is worthy of a Medal of Honour, a purple heart for being HUMANE.
Sorry to be so open, but if you love the 'bang-bang' of guns, then you are lost in life.
Become a real man, like the ones who stay with families and friends , not a mouse with a gun.
Any mouse can carry a gun, but it takes a real man his whole life to work hard for family, not pick up a gun from a childhood dream and shoot imaginary enemies, while thinking G.I. Joe owns the world by the power of the gun...
There is no point being murderous slaves for the industries of oil, construction and security, which Iraq is really all about- running it like a business for American/foreign interests. I urge you to take part in anti-war movements. I support as many as possible.
Take it easy,