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One month has come and gone here in southern Iraq and my deployment is 25% over. I’ve gotten used to being here and gotten use to my routine, so I finally feel comfortable in my temporary surroundings. I’ve kept clean, been in good health, and have been eating better than I would have, had I stayed home. Deployment has also helped me to focus in on my goals after the military and better myself in the short term in terms of exercising both body and mind. I’ve been keeping busy by playing computer games, watching movies, and reading about the idealogical origins of the American constitution. I’ve also begun to collect information concerning the development of my resume and will hopefully have a working resume by the time I leave here.

It’s interesting to note that while I’ve been here, I’ve fielded several questions from high school students concerning what my experience has been since I’d gotten here. I feel honored to have been asked various questions and I feel priviledged that I am able to answer them. One student from Kansas asked me what this war means to me:

I was wondering if you could maybe give me some insight on what this war means to you. What is “Freedom’s Challenge” in your life?

This was my reply:

The beginning of our country basically started with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I think one of the things that people forget is that the men who signed that document - if they were caught, they would’ve been hung as traitors to the crown. I believe the quote before they signed the Declaration was:

“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Those men would’ve been hung, still defending what they thought to be right. They took a huge risk in declaring the American colonies free. And so, I think freedom’s challenge to me is living up to that legacy - to be willing to sacrifice my life and honor to be a part of history, to be a part of something that has freed 25 million people and made an impact all around the world. And of course, proving that we as common people, have the balls to govern ourselves and don’t need the tyrants of history screwing up our principles of self-determination and liberty.

As I conclude one month in the new, free Iraq, I feel honored to be part of the historic events taking place in the Middle East. Though being deployed to Iraq came as a surprise to me at first, I am glad I am here upholding my oath to defend our constitution and the glorious American republic.

We make war that we may live in peace. - Aristotle 

They say when it rains it Iraq, it rains mud. I can see where people come to that assumption. The sky over southern Iraq defers from the partly cloudy, white cloud covered sky in the states. When I look at the Iraqi horizon, whether in mid-afternoon or near dusk, a thin layer of dust and dirt cloud my view. It’s as if there is a thin blanket of brown smog where the lower part of the sky should be. And the average house wife would be quite amused to find that instead of a thin layer of grey, clumpy dust settling over furniture and possessions in a matter of days, the dust here is a fine brown.

Settling into a routine here in Iraq is the first battle to conquer when one arrives here. However, one struggles with realizing that this base is not little America, though it seems that way at times with all the soldiers and airmen walking around. Sometimes I have to force myself to remember I’m in Iraq; that I’m in an Arab, Middle East country. For example, the other day I was walking to our base entertainment center when I saw a medium size truck drive to some nearby tents. It looked like a miniature dump truck. Then I saw a group of Arab men get out of the back of the truck and start to pile sandbags unto the sides of a tent. There was no doubt in my mind that these men were hired Iraqi nationals and were clearly supervised by U.S. troops. However, I couldn’t help but stare at the 6 or 7 men who got out of the truck wearing turbans on their heads. I forced myself to look away toward my destination and did not look elsewhere until I got to the entertainment center. In that moment I asked myself “Why should I stare? I’m in their country, not mine.”

Sometimes it’s difficult for one to adapt to change, especially when you find yourself thousands of miles from home in a foreign, Middle Eastern country. Unfortunately, I’m one of those people.