SectionsGoodbye Iraq; hello freedom
Jess Rollins
Issue date: 3/10/09 Section: Opinion
BAGHDAD - Today's mission was the same as any other. Local traffic kept a cautious distance from our patrol. Gunners threw Pop-Tarts to waving kids. Iraqi Policemen stood watch at battered checkpoints.
One part of town still smelled like burning trash, the bridge still reeked of sewage. The moon still painted the tips of the Tigris River. Helicopters still pierced the silence of a city after curfew.
Today's mission was the same as any other, except it was my last. I am finished. My participation in this war and in this army is at an end. In two weeks, I will be home, where I will await the swift conclusion of my enlistment. After two deployments totaling nearly two years, I prefer to serve my country as a student.
After all, I joined the Army, as many do, to attain a college education. So far, the Army has been the greatest asset and the greatest obstacle to my education. In all fairness, I had no objections when they picked up the bill for my tuition. In all fairness, I would have liked to attend those classes. So, instead of getting educated, I got schooled.
It would be a lie to say I haven't learned anything in the meantime. As good teachers are fond of saying, learning only begins in the classroom. The rest, I guess, cannot be shown in PowerPoint.
I learned about geography, politics, culture and how to bluff at Texas hold'em. I learned what 130 degrees feels like. I learned that Iraqi's have a good sense of humor, and their food is delicious.
I learned Iraqi Army soldiers seem capable, though ill equipped to protect the population.
I learned that war is a terrible, awful thing. I can only add to the clichés. Perhaps, since it is so ancient, the words used to describe it have had the time to be perfected. Even winners lose, and it is as much an adventure as typhoid is. Strangers become brothers. Wives become widows. Boys become men or maimed or dust. I haven't seen many sons of senators here, either.
I learned that wars are easier to fight when you think you know why you are doing it. It becomes much more difficult to wear 60 pounds of equipment everyday when winning sounds more like a draw. I learned that being a soldier means you do it anyway.
After today, though, it's someone else's turn. So, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Pass them on to the next guy. I'm headed home to fight with pen and paper.
One part of town still smelled like burning trash, the bridge still reeked of sewage. The moon still painted the tips of the Tigris River. Helicopters still pierced the silence of a city after curfew.
Today's mission was the same as any other, except it was my last. I am finished. My participation in this war and in this army is at an end. In two weeks, I will be home, where I will await the swift conclusion of my enlistment. After two deployments totaling nearly two years, I prefer to serve my country as a student.
After all, I joined the Army, as many do, to attain a college education. So far, the Army has been the greatest asset and the greatest obstacle to my education. In all fairness, I had no objections when they picked up the bill for my tuition. In all fairness, I would have liked to attend those classes. So, instead of getting educated, I got schooled.
It would be a lie to say I haven't learned anything in the meantime. As good teachers are fond of saying, learning only begins in the classroom. The rest, I guess, cannot be shown in PowerPoint.
I learned about geography, politics, culture and how to bluff at Texas hold'em. I learned what 130 degrees feels like. I learned that Iraqi's have a good sense of humor, and their food is delicious.
I learned Iraqi Army soldiers seem capable, though ill equipped to protect the population.
I learned that war is a terrible, awful thing. I can only add to the clichés. Perhaps, since it is so ancient, the words used to describe it have had the time to be perfected. Even winners lose, and it is as much an adventure as typhoid is. Strangers become brothers. Wives become widows. Boys become men or maimed or dust. I haven't seen many sons of senators here, either.
I learned that wars are easier to fight when you think you know why you are doing it. It becomes much more difficult to wear 60 pounds of equipment everyday when winning sounds more like a draw. I learned that being a soldier means you do it anyway.
After today, though, it's someone else's turn. So, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Pass them on to the next guy. I'm headed home to fight with pen and paper.
Be the first to comment on this story