Dr. Phil’s “Blogajawea”

When the World Feels A Little Smaller

Posted in army by Administrator on the March 26th, 2008

I was flying from Dallas to Portland last Thursday afternoon. I was seated against the window on the 2-seat side of a Super80, and sitting next to me was a 22 year-old US Army Private First Class who was headed home for an 18 day leave following his 8 month-long first tour of duty as an artillaryman/gunner in Baghdad. The more than 3 hours we spent talking made the war that we’re fighting in Iraq get a lot more personal to me. The conversation changed the way I look at things, and I would like to share the story with you.

When we think of the war, or we think of our soldiers, we can fall into the habit of thinking in soundbites, or in stereotypes. For the war, we think either “it was a huge mistake and we need out” or “we can’t cut and run”, or when it comes to soldiers, we think ”grunts” or “because they didn’t have any other choice.” These points of view are, of course, too simple and uneducated. But without any better information (like, say, actual journalism and reporting), it’s easy to fall into the soundbite trap. But in talking with the pfc on my flight, who I’ll call “Adam,” the reality of what’s happening on the ground, and the reality of our remarkable soldiers, has helped me to understand things a little more deeply.

Adam talked with me throughout the entire flight. I thought I was being a burden, but he said he prefers to talk with someone because when his mind sits idle he gets paranoid and “jumpy”… effects of the war. He commonly goes 72 hours with no sleep, and the sleep he does get is uneasy. His state of unrest and his “get done what needs to be done, now” attitude was evident when we were 10 seconds from touching down and he got up from his seat to go to the bathroom. I caught him just in time for him not to be yelled at by the flight attendants (or floored from the landing).

Adam started by telling me how he got to Iraq. He signed up for the Army after high school, and after having spent a little time working. He has been trained as an artillaryman, and was shipped out to Iraq with his platoon 8 months ago to patrol a suburb of Baghdad. Since we aren’t using much artillary, he sits atop a Humvee with a turret and large caliber machine gun, his hands still stained yellow from the residue off his gun.

Adam provided remarkable, and terrifying, insight into the reality of this war. If anyone thought that somehow this was not really a war zone, not really a dangerous place where people are dying in front of you, then think again. His stories of his Lieutenant being killed, his stories of being shot at, and of shooting others, paint a very real, and very frightening picture. But he was able to put it all in perspective in a way that I found heroic. He was careful about not revealing anything confidential, but what he was able to share painted a picture of a strange mix of a 21st century tech-savvy soldier with the randomness and horror of medieval soldier. He was a remarkably balanced, professional, thoughtful and intelligent person. He represents this country with strength and compassion, and he gave me insights into the war and the people of Iraq and our potential to do good that I found refreshing.

Adam said that he, along with the army in general, believe that we should’ve “cleaned house” in Afghanistan following 9/11 before ever considering Iraq. But at the same time, he said that he and his platoon have gotten to know many of the Iraqi people, and he feels good about the opportunity to create a better country than when Saddam Hussein ruled. He’s proud of us being there, but at the same time believed that we have to start putting more pressure on the Iraqi government to provide their own security so we can begin withdrawing troops. He thought Barack Obama’s plan of beginning to withdraw troops next year made sense and would put the appropriate pressure on their government. But his positive attitude about the good that we are doing (or could do) for the Iraqi people made me feel better about us being there, and about supporting the effort - moreso than I had in the past.

Adam shared many things that made me concerned for him and his fellow soldiers beyond the risk of battle. He shared that while the Army provides good medical care, he has experienced a lot of other soldiers having mental breaks due to the stress of war, but that there isn’t anything in place to handle those kinds of problems. “Talk it over with your buddies” is the standard therapy whenever these kinds of problems present.

Needless to say, Adam’s remarks have left an indelible mark on me. He had the confidence and character to help me, a 40 year-old product guy who is trying to find his way in a fast-paced world and sometimes challenging corporate environment, to address my issues directly and strongly. He spent just as much time providing me with advice as he did in answering my endless questions about his life as a soldier. He has helped me to realize that this is war… yes, an actual “Saving Private Ryan” kind of war where real people are getting blown up, where real civilians are getting killed, where real bad guys are meeting their doom, and where our young people are doing the best they can to help another people. I felt like crying in fear for his safety because he’ll be going back to the front lines in just a couple weeks, but I didn’t show it. I just privately prayed for his safe return home to his young family.

Should we be there in Iraq at all? Maybe. Maybe not. But we should all be thankful that we have such remarkable men and women who are looking out for the interests of a people rather than their own interests. We would be well-served to promote people like Adam to be our political leaders, and the sooner the better.

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