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Day to Day Life in Iraq |
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Posted
on March 19, 2008 at 4:14 PM
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Life in Iraq is Groundhog Day, everyday. I lived on a very small base, my schedule did not change from day to day, and I interacted with the same people for a year. A wise colonel told me at the beginning of deployment, “This deployment is a marathon, not a sprint, pace yourself.”
During the deployment, there are good times, bad times, and other times that you think, “Did I sign up for this?”
Working in a hospital, we were very busy when there were a large number of causalities. Those times, all employees on the base, even non-medical, would report to the hospital and help the injured.
I made friends, and we became each other’s support group. By the end of my deployment, we were like family; my friends are the ones that helped me survive the really bad days.
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Mental Health Effects of War |
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Posted
on March 19, 2008 at 4:13 PM
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Working for the government, I am continually faced with the war’s effects on families. Over 50% of the soldiers in my unit got divorced upon returning from our year deployment to Iraq. It is very difficult on both the soldier and the familyiesupon return from combat. Both the soldiers and the famiies need a strong support system from their units. The soldiers also need help transitioning into civilian life, and applying for Veterans Affairs (VA) health benefits.
My husband Edward,(also an Operation Iraqi Freedom vet) and I were finally married after being engaged after 3 years. Edward had been out of the military when I was deployed to Iraq. We got engaged while I was on R&R from Iraq in October 2004. After I separated from the military in May, 2005, we postponed our wedding, due to readjustment issues. We were married on September 29, 2007.
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Bombing of the Mess Hall in Mosul, December 2004 |
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Posted
on March 19, 2008 at 3:59 PM
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I had spent 11 months in Mosul, Iraq, on December 21, 2004, my friends and I were heading to the mess hall on our Forward Opporating Base (FOB). We were called on our hand held radios, that we needed to report to the hospital, ASAP.
Click here to learn more about this attack.
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Life After Iraq |
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Posted
on March 19, 2008 at 3:56 PM
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I have had friends deployed to the Middle East since I left in 2005. The war is never far from my mind. I lived it, and I know what war is.
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love to spend time with my husband, who makes me laugh. I love watching sunsets, and the stars.
I saw death and destruction on a daily basis for a year. I survived and do not want to take my life for granted.
Moving forward, I wonder, “How do we get out without causing more American causalities in the process?”. I want soldiers to stop dying and I want all soldiers to return to their families.
You may not believe in the war, or support the war, but always support the soldiers who fight this war. They are the individuals who secure our freedom, and are willing to pay the ultimate price.
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From University of Cincinnati to Iraq |
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Posted
on March 19, 2008 at 3:55 PM
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While in college at the University of Cincinnati,, in Ohio I took an ROTC repelling class and had a great time. I was subsequently offered a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship, which I accepted. I come from a long line of veterans, dating back to World War I. While participating in ROTC, I was challenged on a daily basis, learned important leadership skills, and made great friends. I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2001.
I served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 as a Personnel Officer for the 67 Combat Support Hospital (CSH). I did a variety of things to coordinate for Reserve Doctors and Nurses to back-fill my unit. My team processed all paperwork in regards to promotions, awards, R&R leave, and American Red Cross messages. I also ensured that all soldiers continued to get paid. Another part of my job was reading Purple Heart Citations when injured soldiers would receive their medal.
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