I entered the military because I needed money for a college education. Both of my parents were linguists in the US Army, and my mother encouraged me to enlist.

I became an intelligence analyst (S2 Noncommissioned Officer in Charge) in the Army and served in Iraq and Kuwait.

I started college the day after I completed my service in 2007 but the war is not far from my mind. I still suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)  from seeing fellow ill-equipped solders get hurt in action. I started a PTSD support group for women vets after having had a hard time finding PTSD support groups for women vets. I also volunteer on behalf of homeless Vets.  To learn more about homeless vets from the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs click here.

Before I joined the Army, and deployed to Iraq, war was just something that happened far away from me. I now understand the impact war has on the lives of people, both soldiers and civilians. Things are very complicated for soldiers out there. On one end, they want to complete their mission and follow orders. On the other hand, they also miss their families and want to come home safely. Add that the “enemy” is difficult to distinguish from innocent civilians, and you can imagine some of the difficult decisions that soldiers deal with on a daily basis under harsh conditions.

I think that the next President needs to implement a plan that allows for the people of Iraq to have control over their own lives as soon as possible. The Iraq War has been a drain on our economy and a drain on our military servicemen and women, not to mention what it has done to the country of Iraq. Although we need to help them rebuild their country, we do not need the presence we have today.

Young Americans can best show their support by sending care packages to soldiers. I cannot describe how wonderful it was to get toiletries and granola bars from people who care about soldiers. You can also help by supporting veterans’ organizations that support troops who are making the soldier to civilian transition back into society.