From A Soldier In Iraq - What You Won't See In The News

[GotZoom]

Finding the Truth in Iraq

A soldier's fears turned to pride in a four-month deployment

By Carissa Lee, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force

I'm guilty, too. Saying it now sort of sums up a lot of feelings for me, but it is true. I recall the day my phone rang at work and on the other end was the bearer of what I considered to be the worst news I had ever heard - I was slated to deploy to Iraq for 120 days. I hung up the phone in disbelief and a multitude of emotions overcame me. The most prevalent of them was fear - after all, I watch the news like most other Americans and what I saw every day was enough to convince me I was off to an unknown future at best. Fear made way for anger, then sadness, then nervousness. I honestly think I went through every emotion known to a person in the weeks and days prior to departing New York for my four-month odyssey.

And then a strange thing happened. All of those negative feelings and emotions vanished. Not immediately, but eventually. It took me all of about a week to find my niche. The one thing about deployments - you certainly aren't alone. Everywhere you look there are people in the same exact situation as you. They all have husbands or wives, kids and parents. And everywhere I looked, the one thing that struck me was how much every person put their heart into their jobs.

The only way I can describe it is to steal a quote from a friend of mine: "Everything in Iraq is multiplied by 10" - meaning that every emotion, every relationship, everything, feels about 10 times more intense than it would anywhere else.

I heard from the people back home on a regular basis and I had no idea how much America supports what we are doing. All of the negativity we are exposed to from the media vanished. What I found to be true was not what I saw on the TV or read on the Internet. It was exactly the opposite.

Here's what the truth is:

We rebuilt schools for Iraqi children.

We painted and restored mosques, hospitals, businesses.

We handed out donated school supplies to children.

We taught firemen, policemen and EMTs life-saving skills.

We awarded business contracts to women who never had an opportunity to be successful under the regime of Saddam.

We trained the Iraqi Air Force and Army how to defend their country.

We supported millions of Iraqis in the first free election their country has held in decades.

In short, we molded history. We put our footprints in the pages of time and that is something nobody can take away from us. It is something I will be proud of until I leave this earth. War changes people. But it can change you for the better, and I think it did that to me.

So, yes, I am guilty, too. I am guilty of believing the hype on the television that what America is doing in Iraq makes no sense. I am guilty of thinking that it is all death and destruction. I am guilty of thinking that the Iraqis don't appreciate what we are doing for them.

But, I now know better. I'll steal another quote, this one from a young Iraqi woman I met one day when we were helping her and her family start up their business. When we were departing she came up to me and grabbed my arm. Her eyes bore into mine and all I could focus on was her tears - tears of joy and gratitude. I'll never forget what she said to me. "You Americans are angels." She was only one of the people I was blessed to meet, but her words meant so much. So, yes, we are doing the right thing. And I am proud to say I was a part of it all.

http://www.pabaah.com/

 

[gaffer]

He's saying what I have always known. And it will continue until its done. Our troops will come home when the misions completed and not until then. That is the exit strategy.

 

[NoLabel]

Finding the Truth in Iraq

A soldier's fears turned to pride in a four-month deployment

By Carissa Lee, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Air Force

I'm guilty, too. Saying it now sort of sums up a lot of feelings for me, but it is true. I recall the day my phone rang at work and on the other end was the bearer of what I considered to be the worst news I had ever heard - I was slated to deploy to Iraq for 120 days. I hung up the phone in disbelief and a multitude of emotions overcame me. The most prevalent of them was fear - after all, I watch the news like most other Americans and what I saw every day was enough to convince me I was off to an unknown future at best. Fear made way for anger, then sadness, then nervousness. I honestly think I went through every emotion known to a person in the weeks and days prior to departing New York for my four-month odyssey.

And then a strange thing happened. All of those negative feelings and emotions vanished. Not immediately, but eventually. It took me all of about a week to find my niche. The one thing about deployments - you certainly aren't alone. Everywhere you look there are people in the same exact situation as you. They all have husbands or wives, kids and parents. And everywhere I looked, the one thing that struck me was how much every person put their heart into their jobs.

The only way I can describe it is to steal a quote from a friend of mine: "Everything in Iraq is multiplied by 10" - meaning that every emotion, every relationship, everything, feels about 10 times more intense than it would anywhere else.

I heard from the people back home on a regular basis and I had no idea how much America supports what we are doing. All of the negativity we are exposed to from the media vanished. What I found to be true was not what I saw on the TV or read on the Internet. It was exactly the opposite.

Here's what the truth is:

We rebuilt schools for Iraqi children.

We painted and restored mosques, hospitals, businesses.

We handed out donated school supplies to children.

We taught firemen, policemen and EMTs life-saving skills.

We awarded business contracts to women who never had an opportunity to be successful under the regime of Saddam.

We trained the Iraqi Air Force and Army how to defend their country.

We supported millions of Iraqis in the first free election their country has held in decades.

In short, we molded history. We put our footprints in the pages of time and that is something nobody can take away from us. It is something I will be proud of until I leave this earth. War changes people. But it can change you for the better, and I think it did that to me.

So, yes, I am guilty, too. I am guilty of believing the hype on the television that what America is doing in Iraq makes no sense. I am guilty of thinking that it is all death and destruction. I am guilty of thinking that the Iraqis don't appreciate what we are doing for them.

But, I now know better. I'll steal another quote, this one from a young Iraqi woman I met one day when we were helping her and her family start up their business. When we were departing she came up to me and grabbed my arm. Her eyes bore into mine and all I could focus on was her tears - tears of joy and gratitude. I'll never forget what she said to me. "You Americans are angels." She was only one of the people I was blessed to meet, but her words meant so much. So, yes, we are doing the right thing. And I am proud to say I was a part of it all.

http://www.pabaah.com/

I have never seen the news say that what we are doing in Iraq makes no sense. I have seen in the news that we invaded a foreign country to remove a dictator under the screen of spreading democracy. Invading Afghanistan to capture Osama was justified, but by dividing our forces to invade Iraq was WRONG. I believe the true reason Mr. Bush invaded Iraq was to avenge the plot to assasinate his father that Saddam backed. Even his father told him not to invade Iraq, for the exact reasons we are experiencing now.

Are we doing some good in Iraq? Was it a good idea to support Saddam so he could fight the Iranians for us? What about the $8,800,000,000 (all of NASA had a budget last year of $6,800,000,00) that we gave the Iraqi government, and they can't account for it?

No one "gave" us independence, we fought for it and died for it.

 

[Annie]

I have never seen the news say that what we are doing in Iraq makes no sense. I have seen in the news that we invaded a foreign country to remove a dictator under the screen of spreading democracy. Invading Afghanistan to capture Osama was justified, but by dividing our forces to invade Iraq was WRONG. I believe the true reason Mr. Bush invaded Iraq was to avenge the plot to assasinate his father that Saddam backed. Even his father told him not to invade Iraq, for the exact reasons we are experiencing now.

Are we doing some good in Iraq? Was it a good idea to support Saddam so he could fight the Iranians for us? What about the $8,800,000,000 (all of NASA had a budget last year of $6,800,000,00) that we gave the Iraqi government, and they can't account for it?

No one "gave" us independence, we fought for it and died for it.

For the time being, my advice is to read what has been previously posted. You so far are not worthy of anyone delving through archives to answer you. Poser.

 

[Gabriella84]

I have never seen the news say that what we are doing in Iraq makes no sense. I have seen in the news that we invaded a foreign country to remove a dictator under the screen of spreading democracy. Invading Afghanistan to capture Osama was justified, but by dividing our forces to invade Iraq was WRONG. I believe the true reason Mr. Bush invaded Iraq was to avenge the plot to assasinate his father that Saddam backed. Even his father told him not to invade Iraq, for the exact reasons we are experiencing now.

Are we doing some good in Iraq? Was it a good idea to support Saddam so he could fight the Iranians for us? What about the $8,800,000,000 (all of NASA had a budget last year of $6,800,000,00) that we gave the Iraqi government, and they can't account for it?

No one "gave" us independence, we fought for it and died for it.

Sorry fellow, you will soon find out that the truth is not welcome here.

I find it interesting that when "common soldiers" write heart rendering positive stories about their service in Iraq, they are applauded and praised.
When anyone (soldiers or otherwise) write negative accounts of what they experience in Iraq, they are immediately dismissed.

There is all sorts of entertaining fiction about (Blackhawk Down, Jessica Lynch, etc), so why do we need more?
And if Iraq is such a wonderful place now, why can't we leave? We have trained their armies, rebuilt their facilities, taught their kids positive (Christian) values, blah blah blah. It's an awesome, free place. Let's let them run it.

Of course, we can't. And we never will. Because everyone knows that, if the American forces EVER leave, Iraq will descend back into chaos. Because the overwhelming majority of them don't know any different. They don't even want Americans over there. That is why they are shooting at them.
The REAL reason why American troops will continue to stay is to make Iraq safe for American corporations to do business there. That was the REAL reason why Americans are dying -- to make Iraq safe for Halliburton and Unical.

 

[NoLabel]

He's saying what I have always known. And it will continue until its done. Our troops will come home when the misions completed and not until then. That is the exit strategy.

Please define "mission completed" is it the same as "mission accomplished"? How will we know if it is completed? Isreal was founded as a "free" country in what the early 50's and fighting and dying is still going on.... is that mission complete?

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Please define "mission completed" is it the same as "mission accomplished"? How will we know if it is completed? Isreal was founded as a "free" country in what the early 50's and fighting and dying is still going on.... is that mission complete?

A democratic and stable iraq. Mission Accomplished referred to the mission of those who were on that carrier. Their specific mission was accomplished. The banner didn't say, War Over. You guys make such big deals out of stupid stuff.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Sorry fellow, you will soon find out that the truth is not welcome here.

I find it interesting that when "common soldiers" write heart rendering positive stories about their service in Iraq, they are applauded and praised.
When anyone (soldiers or otherwise) write negative accounts of what they experience in Iraq, they are immediately dismissed.

There is all sorts of entertaining fiction about (Blackhawk Down, Jessica Lynch, etc), so why do we need more?
And if Iraq is such a wonderful place now, why can't we leave? We have trained their armies, rebuilt their facilities, taught their kids positive (Christian) values, blah blah blah. It's an awesome, free place. Let's let them run it.

Of course, we can't. And we never will. Because everyone knows that, if the American forces EVER leave, Iraq will descend back into chaos. Because the overwhelming majority of them don't know any different. They don't even want Americans over there. That is why they are shooting at them.
The REAL reason why American troops will continue to stay is to make Iraq safe for American corporations to do business there. That was the REAL reason why Americans are dying -- to make Iraq safe for Halliburton and Unical.

All are welcome here. We just hate to see dumb little lefties like you purposefully constrict your worldview and thought process so you can be the most pc and liberal amongst your other little brainwashed buddies. Liberalism is like smoking. please quit, for your own good.

 

[Gabriella84]

I guess that proves the old saying:
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. Or a conservative Republican.

 

[Bonnie]

Gabriella84

I find it interesting that when "common soldiers" write heart rendering positive stories about their service in Iraq, they are applauded and praised.
When anyone (soldiers or otherwise) write negative accounts of what they experience in Iraq, they are immediately dismissed.

Actually it's quite the opposite, the media loves it when soldiers complain about the war and give those stories quite a bit of airplay.

 

[Bonnie]

I guess that proves the old saying:
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. Or a conservative Republican.

And of course this posting is so insighful and proves your point???????????

 

[Bonnie]

Please define "mission completed" is it the same as "mission accomplished"? How will we know if it is completed? Isreal was founded as a "free" country in what the early 50's and fighting and dying is still going on.... is that mission complete?

Mission completed means when the Iraqis can defend themselves against those terrorists that wish to replace the current elected government with another dictatorship rendering all our efforts there wasted. But I suppose we should give the benefit of the doubt to the Generals who are much smarter than us and have access to intelligence. Maybe you should leave your armchair quarterbacking for football...


And this has nothing to do with Israel, Israel is surrounded an all sides by those that wish them gone from this earth, they have a democratic government, and they fight to protect that tiny parcel of land they live on.

 

[menewa]

I did a quick search on the author of this piece in question. She is in charge of public affairs, she is basically a PR person.

I'm not disputing what she says, only her motives. She is a propagandist.

 

[gaffer]

Please define "mission completed" is it the same as "mission accomplished"? How will we know if it is completed? Isreal was founded as a "free" country in what the early 50's and fighting and dying is still going on.... is that mission complete?

You and Gabsalot have the same view of the world, limited. Your so caught up in your Bush hating that you see nothing else.

Mission completed and mission accomplished mean the same thing. When its done they will come home, except for the permanent bases we will keep there as a jumping off point for the invasion of Iran. We still have troops in Afganistan. They get attacked by terrorist bombers all the time too. Funny there's never much said about that. And most of the casualties in Iraq are civilians and Iraq police forces. They are the targets. They are being attacked by Iranian sponsored terrorists from ... get this....OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY! Their purpose is not to attack Americans at this time but to try to start a civil war in Iraq that collapses the government and allows them to install a new Iranian type dictator. The majority of Iraqis don't hate us and most don't want the US to go. The only ones that want a US pull out are the Iranians, the Syrians, al quada and liberals. Looks like a group effort to me. May a pox come down on all of them.

We will not see bin laden caught until Iran is invaded, cause that's where he's hiding. As for Syria, I think we should just turn Isreal loose on them.

By the way, I'm not a republican, I'm an independent conservative athiest.

 

[Annie]

I did a quick search on the author of this piece in question. She is in charge of public affairs, she is basically a PR person.

I'm not disputing what she says, only her motives. She is a propagandist.

Ah she works in PR for the military, she can write. So, whom should report such? Well the MSM would be nice, but we know that ain't going to happen.

 

[Bonnie]

Ah she works in PR for the military, she can write. So, whom should report such? Well the MSM would be nice, but we know that ain't going to happen.

Those lousy propagandist's who does she think she is posting a letter from a soldier!!!

 

[NoLabel]

You and Gabsalot have the same view of the world, limited. Your so caught up in your Bush hating that you see nothing else.

Mission completed and mission accomplished mean the same thing. When its done they will come home, except for the permanent bases we will keep there as a jumping off point for the invasion of Iran. We still have troops in Afganistan. They get attacked by terrorist bombers all the time too. Funny there's never much said about that. And most of the casualties in Iraq are civilians and Iraq police forces. They are the targets. They are being attacked by Iranian sponsored terrorists from ... get this....OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY! Their purpose is not to attack Americans at this time but to try to start a civil war in Iraq that collapses the government and allows them to install a new Iranian type dictator. The majority of Iraqis don't hate us and most don't want the US to go. The only ones that want a US pull out are the Iranians, the Syrians, al quada and liberals. Looks like a group effort to me. May a pox come down on all of them.

We will not see bin laden caught until Iran is invaded, cause that's where he's hiding. As for Syria, I think we should just turn Isreal loose on them.

By the way, I'm not a republican, I'm an independent conservative athiest.

You are so right.... I do hate a president that tells us one thing and does another. I do hate a president that is tearing down our liberties (Patriot Act), while trying to give others democracy. I do hate a president that gives a oil rich nation, billions of our tax money, while our gas prices keep going up. I do hate a president that wants to give oil companies huge tax breaks because they are reporting record profits. I do hate a president that requires a signature on a loyalty oath to attend one of his re-election rallies. I do hate a president that wants to eliminate inheritance tax (they call it a death tax) because, in his words it will kill small businesses and family farms, but the democrats offered to exempt both of them, and he still rejected it. I do hate a president that is so scared of the news media, he had the lowest number of news briefings of any president in his first term. I do hate a president that has run up the largest deficit known to man, while claiming to be a conservative. I do hate a president that has yet to veto a spending bill. I do hate a president that spends thousands of our tax dollars to run back to Washington to sign a bill for ONE american (Teri Schiavo). I do hate a president that talks about "majority" and "mandate", but when the majority does not want personal accounts in SS... he keeps pushing for them. I do hate a president that keeps ice away from hurricane victims so he can show up and give it away. Yes, I do hate a president that is two faced, and only knows one economic policy, give stipends to the middle class, and millions to the rich, after all they are the ones that paid for his election.

 

[5stringJeff]

You are so right.... I do hate a president that tells us one thing and does another. I do hate a president that is tearing down our liberties (Patriot Act), while trying to give others democracy. I do hate a president that gives a oil rich nation, billions of our tax money, while our gas prices keep going up. I do hate a president that wants to give oil companies huge tax breaks because they are reporting record profits. I do hate a president that requires a signature on a loyalty oath to attend one of his re-election rallies. I do hate a president that wants to eliminate inheritance tax (they call it a death tax) because, in his words it will kill small businesses and family farms, but the democrats offered to exempt both of them, and he still rejected it. I do hate a president that is so scared of the news media, he had the lowest number of news briefings of any president in his first term. I do hate a president that has run up the largest deficit known to man, while claiming to be a conservative. I do hate a president that has yet to veto a spending bill. I do hate a president that spends thousands of our tax dollars to run back to Washington to sign a bill for ONE american (Teri Schiavo). I do hate a president that talks about "majority" and "mandate", but when the majority does not want personal accounts in SS... he keeps pushing for them. I do hate a president that keeps ice away from hurricane victims so he can show up and give it away. Yes, I do hate a president that is two faced, and only knows one economic policy, give stipends to the middle class, and millions to the rich, after all they are the ones that paid for his election.

And I do hate unoriginality. I am too tired to debunk your post... :zzz:

 

[GotZoom]

I did a quick search on the author of this piece in question. She is in charge of public affairs, she is basically a PR person.

I'm not disputing what she says, only her motives. She is a propagandist.

So when a soldier (or group of soldiers) come out complaining about equipment and the conditions and their reasons for not wanting to be there, it is the truth.

When someone in the press is over there complaining about conditions and the terrible things we are doing, it is the truth.

But when a military member, who happens to be a "PR" person, writes something positive about what is happening over there, it's propoganda?

 

[NoLabel]

And I do hate unoriginality. I am too tired to debunk your post... :zzz:

Which is it?

Can't
Won't
Lazy