Exclusive:  In Their Own Words: Our ‘Best and Bravest’ Speak to You
Pamela Meister


Author: Pamela Meister

Date Published: 2007-05-03



The “Big Red One” is America’s pride and joy. FSM Contributing Editor Pamela Meister interviewed members of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division in Ft. Riley, Kansas. Their amazing words represent a welcome counterweight to the depressing rhetoric of liberal defeatists.

 

In Their Own Words: Our ‘Best and Bravest’ Speak to You

 

By Pamela Meister

 

Since the day of the draft is (for all intents and purposes) a thing of the past, some Americans have a difficult time understanding why anyone would voluntarily join the military – especially during a time of the increasingly unpopular armed conflict in Iraq. Yet in spite of the dangers that face them, men and women continue to join our armed forces. A big question is, why? And once they’re a part of the action, what are their views about their mission and the opinions of people back home?

 

I had the opportunity to interview* (via e-mail) some of the members of the 610th Brigade Support Battalion, also known as the “Phoenix” Battalion, based at Forward Operating Base Falcon in Southern Baghdad. They are members of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Dragons) of the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) out of Fort Riley, Kansas, and they have been in Iraq since February of this year. The brigade has only existed as a unit since January of 2006, and many of the troops came to the different formations within the brigade straight out of either basic training or advanced individual training. There are approximately 3,400 total soldiers in the battalion.

 

Even though soldiers are trained to work as a unit, they all come from different life circumstances that color their perspective on life in the Army and life in general. Here I hope to show that, like those of us here at home, soldiers can and do think for themselves.

 

Adventure, Practicality, and a Desire to Serve

 

There are many different reasons why soldiers enlist. Some, like Pvt. Sarah Crandall, enlisted right after high school, “for the college money and to try something new. If you can protect your home, you can protect your country.” Others joined later in life. Spc. Angelo Jusay, a divorced father of two, joined up at the age of 27.  Angelo writes, “I always wanted to join the military since I was young, but I couldn’t lose weight. I joined for a combination of college money and service. Others just don’t understand.”

 

It is true that some people enlist because there isn’t much else going for them. Pvt. Angela Hampton says her “life was going nowhere, and I needed some direction and for the school opportunity. Honestly, I really didn’t think about the war when I joined.”  Before you think this answer gives credence to the belief that the Army is only there for people with no other alternatives, see what Pfc. Lawrence O. Gillespie III has to say: “I enlisted to better my life, serve my country, and serve the people I love most. Joining at a time of war was just a bonus.” Unsurprisingly, Pfc. Gillespie plans on making the Army his full-time career.

 

Gillespie is not the only one with military ambition. Spc. Gilbert R. Gomez plans on “reenlisting for a few more years,” looking toward the educational and promotional opportunities the Army has to offer. And Pfc. Nadirah Lewis also plans to reenlist. She takes a very pragmatic view: “There are lots of advantages to being in the Army. You just have to use what the Army gives you.”

 

Of course, not everyone wishes to stay in the Army, like Pfc. Jessica Bogni. She says she “really like(s) the Army,” but her dream is to become an RN. Still, the National Guard remains “an option.” Pfc. Kathleen T.B. Logan plans to return to college to finish her degree. “The college money was appealing, so that I could be more independent from my parents, and they could save for my brother and sister’s education.”

 

Family Matters

 

Obviously the support of loved ones has a great impact on soldiers. Some are lucky to have unqualified support upon their enlistment. Sgt. Joseph Simon was fortunate that his “friends and family were very supportive. They know me and support me in every way.”  Spc. Tessa Miller says her “parents were very proud of her decision to join,” and that while home on leave, she is often told she is “brave to have joined and be serving in a time of war.”  As for Spc. Justin M. Hammond, his family was initially dismayed by his decision, but “now they feel it was a good choice.”

 

Yet as we know, serving in the military can be a source of friction in families. Pfc. Logan recalls her family being “very upset and confused” as to why she would “choose such a dangerous profession, and especially one in support of a government they do not agree with.” Pfc. Ryan C. Godles said his family was “very worried.” And Pfc. Lewis reports that her mother, in shock at her enlistment, tried to “guilt” her out of joining.

 

Can We Win?

 

We’ve been hearing a lot from our media and from many prominent politicians that we cannot win in Iraq. This is a bone of contention for many of our soldiers in the field. Sgt. Simon believes “we can achieve our goals, but we will probably never stop terrorism. I wish people would show as much support for the troops as they do against the war.” Pfc. Gillespie has his own personal opinion on how to go about winning: “We need to change our tactics and be more aggressive, and less worried about what people think who are not on the battlefield, or let the Iraqis take over their own country.”

 

As it goes for civilians, so it goes for soldiers. Not all believe that our mission in Iraq is a good idea. “I feel we should let the people of Iraq take care of themselves,” says Spc. Hammond. “The U.S. won’t always be able to support them.”  Pvt. Hampton agrees. “I feel like we aren’t fighting our own war anymore. We are fighting theirs.”

 

Pvt. Bogni has some especially moving thoughts on the subject: “If people could see what goes on here, maybe they would have a little more heart when realizing why we’re over here. These people are killing each other, mutilating their children and blowing up their brothers. All we’re trying to do is end it.” Pfc. Lewis understands why people back home would believe we are not winning because it’s a kind of warfare we have not seen before. And, as she says, “we won’t be able to get through to the whole society, but the few we help will hopefully rise up and build Iraq back up – better than it used to be.”

 

Who Are You Calling Stupid?

 

Who remembers John Kerry’s “botched joke” about being stupid and ending up in Iraq? Tell that to Spc. Hammond, who carried a B+ average during high school. (According to a report by the Heritage Foundation, recent enlistees tended to be both better educated and wealthier than their peers.)

 

Spc. Miller reminds us that being a soldier is a lot more than just pulling the trigger of a gun. “Being in the Army as a junior enlisted soldier requires competence and patience” and “intelligence.” Pfc. Godles was already gainfully employed when he enlisted, but he says, “I joined to serve my country.”

 

We weren’t all born with silver spoons in our mouths, as Pfc. Bogni reminds us. “Some people weren’t born into a life where college or a good job was an option for them. But the Army gave or gives them a better shot at something more.” America’s history is littered with people who have, as the old saying goes, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. Since when has that become a negative thing?

 

Fair and Balanced Reporting, Please!

 

The one thing all of the soldiers I heard from can agree on is this: the mainstream media tends to send out mainly negative reports on what’s actually happening on the ground in Iraq. Sgt. Simon would like to “see more positive stories.” They aren’t showing the “people we employ, the kids we help at the troop medical clinic, us protecting innocent civilians,” says Spc. Hammond. Spc. Gomez concurs.  “The media is not covering the whole story,” he states.  Spc. Aguirre would like to see more stories about the soldiers who have been killed in action. Not just names and dates, but who they were. “They should be known by everyone – they are true heroes.”

 

Pfc. Bogni raises an interesting question: “All I ever hear is how many Americans died today, and quite possibly that’s all anyone wants to know about. But what about how many people were saved by us being here today?” Those would be interesting statistics, indeed. New York Times, are you listening?

 

Why is the media more inclined to report negative stories? Pfc. Logan thinks it’s because “people like drama in their lives, and they can always turn to the war in Iraq for gratification.” It’s tempting to tell them to simply watch a soap opera instead.

 

Everyone’s Got an Opinion

 

Anti-war protest groups get plenty of mainstream press coverage. But for all of the shouting and screaming of “no war for oil” by groups like International A.N.S.W.E.R. (a front group for the Marxist-Leninist World Workers Party) and Code Pink (founded by pro-Castro radical Medea Benjamin), our soldiers keep their minds on their jobs. Pfc. Logan, Spc. Jusay, Pfc. Gillespie, and Pfc. Godles say that anti-war sentiment and protesting to that end does not affect their morale or their ability to do their jobs. Still, as Sgt. Simon says, it would be nice if “they would just show…support toward our mission and troops, [as] it isn’t our choice – it’s our job.” Spc. Hammond agrees. “People have to realize we don’t choose the missions.”

 

Even those soldiers who agree with the protestors’ point of view, such as Spc. Gomez, realize they must support the mission in Iraq because they pledged to do so when he enlisted. He says, “I support the mission ‘cause I have to.”

 

Unlike people who equate criticism with censorship, our soldiers understand what freedom of speech really means. Pvt. Crandall says, “Everyone has the right to their own opinion.” As front line witnesses to the action, the words of our troops carry a little more weight than those of your average American. Spc. Bogni: “A lot of people see this war as a fight over money, or oil, or power. But for me this is exactly what we call it: ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom.’ We are just trying to give these people the freedom we so quickly take for granted in America.”

 

Taking it one step further is Spc. Aguirre: “Freedom of speech and many other rights are what we are here for. WE exist to have these rights many take for granted, but those of us who know the cost [realize it’s] a luxury. I am glad to have supporters. ‘Freedom isn’t free. Ask any soldier.’”

 

Final Thoughts

 

Far from being stereotypical “grunts,” today’s soldiers are highly skilled, highly trained individuals who have taken on the daunting task of defending America, her interests, and her citizens. They leave behind family, friends, and sometimes school and good jobs upon joining the military. Some do it for the college money, while others do it because it’s what they’ve “always wanted to do.” Still others join from a sense of duty, pride, and service to country. That they have done so in a time of war is even more commendable.

 

While the media makes a fuss over the likes of Ehren Watada, the Army lieutenant who defied orders and refused to deploy to Iraq, they ignore many thousands who fulfill their contracts – until they become statistics that are useful for a never-ending anti-war screed directed at an increasingly fickle public. As you have read, not all of the “Dragons” I heard from support the mission in Iraq on a personal level. However, the honor and principle they display by nevertheless carrying out their assignments to the best of their ability should be a lesson to us all.

 

Perhaps it would be best to let one of them have the last word. Spc. Aguirre:

 

“We soldiers have our own opinions as well, but when we are called for war, we are there – sacrificing, putting others before oneself. We do not question; we do as instructed. If we are told we will be retreated, it will be a great feeling. We should just accomplish the mission we are given and have no regrets.”

 

*Many thanks to Melanie Morgan of MoveAmericaForward.org; Major Eric Egland (Reserve), author of The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help Them Win; and Major Kirk A. Luedeke, Public Affairs Officer of the 4th IBCT, 1st ID DRAGONS, for their invaluable assistance.

 

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FamilySecurityMatters.org Pamela Meister is a former radio broadcaster, a recovering liberal, a contributor to AmericanThinker.com and a formidable blogger at http://blogmeisterusa.mu.nu. 

 

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