WEBVTT 00:00.140 --> 00:02.960 Yeah , tell me about New Year in Iraq . 00:04.840 --> 00:08.080 My New year in Iraq . Uh what 00:08.090 --> 00:11.610 was consistent with the mission that 00:11.620 --> 00:14.430 that we're here to perform ? Uh we did 00:14.430 --> 00:17.370 have a a small celebration 00:17.660 --> 00:21.250 and rather than having a ball dropping , 00:21.940 --> 00:24.770 we had a palm tree drop , which is to 00:24.770 --> 00:28.690 kind of honor the Iraqi New Year for 00:28.690 --> 00:32.290 all the troops . Yeah . Yeah . Does 00:32.290 --> 00:34.760 anybody get to watch a ballgame there ? 00:36.020 --> 00:39.040 There's um there's bowl games going on 00:39.040 --> 00:42.850 and um with the time zone 00:42.850 --> 00:44.850 difference of being plus nine hours 00:44.850 --> 00:47.430 ahead of you guys . Uh the bowl games 00:47.430 --> 00:50.260 will be televised live and so most of 00:50.260 --> 00:52.930 those will kick off around midnight and 00:52.930 --> 00:55.097 thereabouts . So there will be quite a 00:55.097 --> 00:57.097 few soldiers up watching bowl games 00:57.097 --> 01:00.190 this evening while people here in Iowa 01:00.190 --> 01:02.246 have been celebrating the new year . 01:02.246 --> 01:04.079 It's been a bit of a different , 01:04.079 --> 01:06.412 obviously a different situation in Iraq . 01:06.412 --> 01:08.579 Tell me about what it's been like this 01:08.579 --> 01:12.500 past weekend , uh this past week in in 01:12.500 --> 01:15.700 Iraq . Uh just just like with the many 01:15.700 --> 01:18.540 weeks prior , I'm going on nine months 01:18.550 --> 01:22.390 being deployed uh here in Iraq and 01:22.400 --> 01:26.050 uh it's just full of consistent , 01:26.060 --> 01:29.290 you know , uh mission by mission . Uh 01:29.300 --> 01:31.467 Of course I'm kind of a sandbox taylor 01:31.467 --> 01:33.790 here serving uh with the great folks in 01:33.790 --> 01:36.700 the army and serving alongside of them . 01:36.700 --> 01:39.750 So this is truly a joint effort for all 01:39.750 --> 01:42.840 of us as we move forward and uh help 01:42.840 --> 01:45.490 the government to stabilize and become 01:45.490 --> 01:48.590 their own . Uh and as I understand it , 01:48.590 --> 01:50.950 you fly you a Visa for the Navy 01:50.960 --> 01:53.340 unmanned vehicles are drone direct , we 01:53.340 --> 01:56.700 have a small U . A . V footprint uh 01:56.710 --> 02:00.180 here in Iraq . And uh of course the 02:00.190 --> 02:03.350 army is alongside of us and uh we 02:03.350 --> 02:06.330 support the uh the soft community , the 02:06.330 --> 02:09.330 Special Ops Forces uh with our U . A . 02:09.330 --> 02:11.950 V . Efforts U A V of course being the 02:11.960 --> 02:15.870 unmanned aerial vehicle . I know you 02:15.870 --> 02:17.703 can't speak for everybody in the 02:17.703 --> 02:19.814 military . Well , what's been to talk 02:19.814 --> 02:23.160 since uh Iraqis executed Saddam Hussein ? 02:24.740 --> 02:28.670 You know that that that's a a question 02:28.670 --> 02:30.837 that that really lies kind of with the 02:30.837 --> 02:33.540 Iraqi people and the different factions 02:33.540 --> 02:36.240 there . And of course , uh the uh the 02:36.250 --> 02:38.380 decisions by the chain of command 02:38.380 --> 02:42.160 that's uh our superior uh to me , um 02:42.170 --> 02:44.920 knowing of course that uh every small 02:44.920 --> 02:47.330 part we play leads into that bigger 02:47.330 --> 02:51.120 role . Have you sent any kind of a 02:51.120 --> 02:54.090 change since Iraqis executed Saddam 02:54.090 --> 02:57.310 Hussein ? Um 02:57.320 --> 03:00.550 as far as my workload being uh less or 03:00.550 --> 03:03.040 more every day in Iraq is a good one 03:03.040 --> 03:06.460 job . I understand . 03:08.440 --> 03:11.380 How would you describe the mood right 03:11.380 --> 03:13.740 now in Iraq on what's potentially the 03:13.740 --> 03:16.590 eve of a big decision by President Bush 03:16.590 --> 03:18.812 to potentially change the course of the 03:18.812 --> 03:22.040 way uh he's executing the war in Iraq 03:22.050 --> 03:25.800 uh that that's really a 03:25.800 --> 03:28.150 decision that lies with my chain of 03:28.150 --> 03:31.640 command . Um you know , and I guess 03:31.640 --> 03:33.910 that boils down to do I fly more or 03:33.910 --> 03:36.990 less and uh every day is an action 03:36.990 --> 03:39.046 packed adventure that I see from the 03:39.046 --> 03:42.970 skies . How would you describe 03:42.970 --> 03:46.750 the morale right now in Iraq ? 03:47.140 --> 03:51.110 Um , morale with the troops 03:51.110 --> 03:53.330 and all the , all the forces are very 03:53.330 --> 03:56.330 high ? Um , I can't speak for the for 03:56.330 --> 03:59.790 the local Iraqis and of course uh as as 03:59.790 --> 04:03.240 your news team has covered , uh you 04:03.240 --> 04:05.510 know that there's some uh divisiveness 04:05.510 --> 04:07.720 going on right now with lots of 04:07.720 --> 04:10.950 important decisions in the midst . But 04:10.960 --> 04:13.570 you can rest assured that uh the boots 04:13.570 --> 04:15.737 on the ground , both the men and women 04:15.737 --> 04:17.792 that are serving from all forces are 04:17.792 --> 04:21.450 unified and and morale is high . Uh 04:22.140 --> 04:24.307 Do you think there's any concern there 04:24.307 --> 04:27.260 about the political situation here ? 04:30.140 --> 04:33.540 Well , certainly uh the way the 04:33.540 --> 04:36.110 military works of course is whoever is 04:36.110 --> 04:37.943 running the house and whoever is 04:37.943 --> 04:41.480 running Congress uh will dictate to uh 04:41.490 --> 04:43.434 the Department of Defense . And of 04:43.434 --> 04:45.500 course , uh you know , we have a new 04:45.510 --> 04:48.260 new boss now in the new chief with the 04:48.270 --> 04:51.140 Secretary Gates being nominated and and 04:51.140 --> 04:53.750 being confirmed . And so uh we'll see 04:53.750 --> 04:56.860 which direction that that takes . 04:57.540 --> 05:00.240 What about confirmed there about the 05:00.250 --> 05:03.150 support for the war here 05:06.210 --> 05:09.550 as far as the course of the war , 05:10.040 --> 05:12.262 you know , think of it as the spokes on 05:12.262 --> 05:15.110 a bicycle wheel and uh everybody 05:15.120 --> 05:18.380 pulling together to try and ultimately 05:18.380 --> 05:21.720 roll forward and you know , with that 05:21.730 --> 05:24.980 decision being set , we'll uh we'll see 05:24.980 --> 05:27.420 how that , how that course and how that 05:27.430 --> 05:30.350 wheel rolls straight . Obviously we're 05:30.350 --> 05:32.380 thousands of miles away and and 05:32.380 --> 05:34.491 completely detached from what's going 05:34.491 --> 05:36.658 on there except for what we see on the 05:36.658 --> 05:38.880 evening news . What do I need to know ? 05:38.880 --> 05:41.140 What maybe a piece of insight could you 05:41.140 --> 05:43.740 give me about the situation there ? 05:43.740 --> 05:45.962 That maybe I didn't know before . Maybe 05:45.962 --> 05:48.190 you want to , uh , to put in my mind 05:48.190 --> 05:51.740 right now . I , I appreciate that 05:51.740 --> 05:53.629 opportunity . Jeff . I think it's 05:53.629 --> 05:55.920 important for everybody to know that , 05:55.930 --> 05:58.080 uh , that all the men and women that 05:58.080 --> 06:00.191 are , that are fighting over here are 06:00.191 --> 06:02.410 proud americans and uh , I'm proud to 06:02.410 --> 06:04.980 serve alongside every one of them . And 06:04.990 --> 06:06.934 uh , from , from the young men and 06:06.934 --> 06:09.570 women in the army to the navy . That's , 06:09.580 --> 06:12.150 uh , currently deployed ashore , uh , 06:12.160 --> 06:14.271 the marines , Coast Guardsmen and Air 06:14.271 --> 06:17.170 Force . Uh , it's truly a joint effort 06:17.180 --> 06:20.760 and uh , it's unifying and it's a proud 06:20.760 --> 06:24.430 moment to serve alongside such patriots . 06:27.840 --> 06:30.260 So the New Year's Day is no different 06:30.260 --> 06:33.510 than any other day for you . 06:33.520 --> 06:35.810 New Year's Day is , is no different 06:35.810 --> 06:39.510 than any other day except uh , 06:39.520 --> 06:42.700 when I need parts for a logistics call 06:42.700 --> 06:44.750 some , some of my folks back in the 06:44.750 --> 06:47.440 States may have slept in a little bit 06:47.440 --> 06:51.090 longer than normal . You are as I 06:51.090 --> 06:53.510 understand it about 20 miles north of 06:53.520 --> 06:57.110 Baghdad . That correct ? That's 06:57.110 --> 07:00.090 correct . I'm northeast of Baghdad . 07:00.100 --> 07:02.220 And how would you describe your , the 07:02.220 --> 07:04.276 overall situation around there right 07:04.276 --> 07:06.700 now in terms of your safety and in 07:06.700 --> 07:07.867 terms of stability , 07:07.867 --> 07:11.660 uh , 07:11.670 --> 07:13.630 you know , at the end of the day , 07:13.630 --> 07:16.110 we're still in Iraq and uh , we're 07:16.110 --> 07:18.540 surrounded by a fence line and of 07:18.540 --> 07:21.280 course there are all kinds of uh , uh , 07:21.290 --> 07:23.290 different assets that we can use to 07:23.290 --> 07:26.180 counter uh , any kind of threat that's 07:26.180 --> 07:29.170 out there . But at the end of the day 07:29.180 --> 07:31.402 you're still in Iraq and you're subject 07:31.402 --> 07:34.690 to those threats that may come . And as 07:34.690 --> 07:36.801 I understand it , not much longer for 07:36.801 --> 07:39.910 you . Not not much much longer . I 07:39.910 --> 07:42.470 think I-21 in a wake up if a guy would 07:42.470 --> 07:45.420 account starting today , not that 07:45.420 --> 07:47.420 anybody's counting . So I talked to 07:47.420 --> 07:49.587 your father and he's very much looking 07:49.587 --> 07:51.850 forward to you coming back . It sounds 07:51.850 --> 07:54.300 like you've got a trip plan , uh , a 07:54.310 --> 07:56.780 nice warm place at least . And I 07:56.780 --> 07:59.130 imagine you've got a wish list once you 07:59.130 --> 08:03.130 get back . That's correct . In 08:03.130 --> 08:05.241 fact , I'm going through some weather 08:05.241 --> 08:07.250 training right now for Iowa , it's 08:07.250 --> 08:11.030 about 33° here daily . So uh , 08:11.030 --> 08:13.710 I'll be able to be in that Iowa winter 08:13.710 --> 08:16.910 spirit when I arrive . Well , I wish we 08:16.910 --> 08:18.966 had the Iowa winter spirit . We just 08:18.966 --> 08:21.132 got our first snowfall here in central 08:21.132 --> 08:23.299 Iowa that's actually sticking . Well , 08:23.299 --> 08:25.243 I appreciate the time you've taken 08:25.243 --> 08:27.630 anything else you'd like to say before 08:27.640 --> 08:31.510 we conclude . Um , I 08:31.520 --> 08:34.660 just think , uh , every everybody that 08:34.670 --> 08:37.230 continues to support the men and women 08:37.230 --> 08:39.230 that are over here . Um , there are 08:39.230 --> 08:41.460 lots of us over here and uh , every 08:41.460 --> 08:44.160 single one of them appreciates the the 08:44.160 --> 08:46.460 cards , the letters , the candy and , 08:46.470 --> 08:49.820 and the care packages . So whatever 08:49.820 --> 08:52.940 your political affiliation , just uh , 08:52.950 --> 08:55.250 just remember that there are men and 08:55.250 --> 08:57.660 women over here , doing the good work . 08:58.440 --> 09:02.060 Any members of your family . And I just 09:02.060 --> 09:05.470 wanna uh , tell my mom hi and , and my 09:05.470 --> 09:09.100 dad and my sister Gina and uh , I'll be 09:09.100 --> 09:12.940 home soon . Lieutenant john fisher . 09:12.950 --> 09:16.710 Happy New Year . Thanks so much and 09:16.720 --> 09:20.710 happy New Year to you as well . Thanks 09:20.710 --> 09:22.877 very much for joining us . Best wishes 09:22.877 --> 09:24.877 to you . Wish you luck there in the 09:24.877 --> 09:28.030 next few weeks , um , as well as to 09:28.030 --> 09:30.570 your colleagues there and uh , thank 09:30.570 --> 09:32.459 you for doing what you're doing . 09:33.140 --> 09:35.570 Thanks for this opportunity , Jeff . 09:35.580 --> 09:38.670 Alright . Happy new Year . Alright . 09:38.680 --> 09:40.360 Happy New Year to you .