WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:02.520 uh I think what they're not hearing 00:02.520 --> 00:04.631 enough of is just the way that people 00:04.631 --> 00:06.798 have started taking more of a national 00:06.798 --> 00:09.020 product . Yes , you can you can call up 00:09.020 --> 00:11.131 the lack of a better phrase , but the 00:11.131 --> 00:13.298 people all around here , you don't see 00:13.298 --> 00:15.464 all the waves and everything else when 00:15.464 --> 00:17.353 you see the news on Abc or NBC or 00:17.353 --> 00:19.242 whatever . We go out there in the 00:19.242 --> 00:21.464 cities a lot with the orphanages , with 00:21.464 --> 00:23.520 the hospitals and just in the cities 00:23.520 --> 00:25.742 around and talk with the neighbors . We 00:25.742 --> 00:27.742 were on the ground and we're giving 00:27.742 --> 00:27.700 them basic healthcare , we're giving 00:27.700 --> 00:29.740 them school supplies , backpacks , 00:29.740 --> 00:32.000 soccer balls , just seeing that at all 00:32.000 --> 00:34.810 the time and all the waves from men , 00:34.810 --> 00:36.921 women and Children , it's just , it's 00:36.921 --> 00:38.977 really amazing to see how , how much 00:38.977 --> 00:41.000 these people really , I mean , the 00:41.000 --> 00:43.120 average person here really , really 00:43.130 --> 00:45.352 appreciate us being here and what we're 00:45.352 --> 00:47.297 doing . And I think for the voting 00:47.297 --> 00:49.352 turnout in january , it really shows 00:49.352 --> 00:51.519 that we are doing the right thing here 00:51.519 --> 00:53.686 and the people are stepping up to take 00:53.686 --> 00:53.250 control of their own lives and their 00:53.250 --> 00:55.250 own country , you know , to build a 00:55.250 --> 00:57.139 better Iraq . It's really amazing 00:57.139 --> 00:59.417 watching these people that they really , 00:59.417 --> 01:01.690 they really come around . Uh Oh 01:01.690 --> 01:04.330 definitely , definitely , even the six 01:04.330 --> 01:06.386 months I've been here , it's a total 01:06.386 --> 01:09.960 change that I've seen , you know , when 01:09.960 --> 01:12.580 you first got there in october and now 01:12.580 --> 01:16.550 here in the middle of March , uh 01:16.560 --> 01:18.616 get the conditions of how the people 01:18.616 --> 01:20.393 are treating you or how they're 01:20.393 --> 01:22.504 politically in their lives completely 01:22.504 --> 01:24.560 turned around , rather . I think , I 01:24.560 --> 01:26.671 think just the way we've been treated 01:26.671 --> 01:28.850 basically the same the whole time to 01:28.850 --> 01:31.150 the ordinary citizen , but I think the 01:31.150 --> 01:33.261 way the people , you see the way they 01:33.261 --> 01:35.030 move , the way they just their 01:35.030 --> 01:37.197 lifestyles , you know , they're not as 01:37.197 --> 01:39.363 cheap as not as afraid as anymore . Um 01:39.363 --> 01:41.830 It's just they're out more again with 01:41.830 --> 01:44.108 the voting turnout showed that as well . 01:44.108 --> 01:47.840 Um the Iraqi security forces are more 01:47.840 --> 01:50.007 proud , you know , They lived in a lot 01:50.007 --> 01:52.118 of fear , even in october and we were 01:52.118 --> 01:54.284 here of retribution from the I . F for 01:54.284 --> 01:56.396 the anti Iraqi forces . Uh and seeing 01:56.396 --> 01:58.618 them now with no mask and just and just 01:58.618 --> 02:00.840 really proud to wear their uniforms and 02:00.840 --> 02:02.618 to be in those vehicles and the 02:02.618 --> 02:04.396 checkpoints and doing their job 02:04.396 --> 02:06.507 protecting their country and their uh 02:06.507 --> 02:08.673 their fellow countrymen . So it's it's 02:08.673 --> 02:10.896 a huge difference . What do you do that 02:10.896 --> 02:13.700 occasionally ? Uh and the people that 02:13.710 --> 02:16.110 beat their drums the loudest uh usually 02:16.110 --> 02:18.440 get the coverage . And then there are 02:18.450 --> 02:20.617 things that happened over there , like 02:20.617 --> 02:24.130 we hear about uh some us fighting 02:24.140 --> 02:26.780 forces that end up having to shoot down 02:26.780 --> 02:29.430 a car that stopped at a roadblock , or 02:29.430 --> 02:31.652 there was a case a few months ago about 02:31.652 --> 02:35.150 a marine force that was in a 02:35.160 --> 02:38.240 mosque and the individuals wasn't dead , 02:38.240 --> 02:40.240 but you should have been , and they 02:40.240 --> 02:42.296 shot him and have some sort of court 02:42.296 --> 02:45.420 martial and a lot of people over here a 02:45.430 --> 02:49.070 lot , but would you be the minority , 02:49.080 --> 02:51.413 but they beat their drums , the loudest , 02:51.413 --> 02:53.469 you know , are always put the screen 02:53.469 --> 02:55.691 that was not given the right thing over 02:55.691 --> 02:57.969 there . But that's really not the case . 02:57.969 --> 03:00.630 It's not the case at all when you're an 03:00.630 --> 03:02.970 environment such as we are and uh when 03:02.970 --> 03:04.914 you have people coming in from all 03:04.914 --> 03:07.870 around the foreign fighter cells coming 03:07.870 --> 03:09.981 in and try and they're basically here 03:09.981 --> 03:12.092 to make profit or just to cause havoc 03:12.092 --> 03:14.148 can retire . Um and that's basically 03:14.148 --> 03:16.314 their sole mission . They have nothing 03:16.314 --> 03:18.370 to gain the countries that they gave 03:18.370 --> 03:20.426 these people . But aside from that , 03:20.426 --> 03:22.648 when you're in the situation , security 03:22.648 --> 03:22.070 situation and you're in these 03:22.070 --> 03:25.400 checkpoints , uh you traffic 03:25.400 --> 03:27.344 checkpoints and you have to search 03:27.344 --> 03:29.456 these cars coming in and then just to 03:29.456 --> 03:31.567 make sure the city is say , and these 03:31.567 --> 03:33.678 people know the Iraqi cities and what 03:33.678 --> 03:35.844 they're there for their own good . But 03:35.844 --> 03:38.067 when people come toward the checkpoints 03:38.067 --> 03:40.150 at a high rate of speed , uh using 03:40.150 --> 03:42.039 force is always the last resort , 03:42.039 --> 03:44.094 especially in those situations . But 03:44.094 --> 03:46.150 when you have situations in the past 03:46.150 --> 03:48.317 and we've been here for over two years 03:48.317 --> 03:50.428 now , but people of grand checkpoints 03:50.428 --> 03:52.372 and blow themselves up either in a 03:52.372 --> 03:54.483 vehicle or just on foot as well , you 03:54.483 --> 03:56.650 have to take precautions and you get , 03:56.650 --> 03:58.761 you get nervous , you see a speech he 03:58.761 --> 04:00.761 gave to come towards you and at the 04:00.761 --> 04:02.928 last resort , if you do shoot you hope 04:02.928 --> 04:04.960 you shot an enemy and force you , 04:04.960 --> 04:07.016 sometimes it doesn't happen with the 04:07.016 --> 04:09.071 incidents that are in the news now . 04:09.071 --> 04:11.360 But it's not , it's not the norm . 04:11.370 --> 04:13.537 Those are isolated incidents with just 04:13.537 --> 04:15.648 again happen in a combat zone , which 04:15.648 --> 04:17.481 is what ran . And people need to 04:17.481 --> 04:19.426 understand the risk these soldiers 04:19.426 --> 04:21.537 taken care of are putting their lives 04:21.537 --> 04:23.759 in . And you know , when you're in that 04:23.759 --> 04:25.870 situation , it's kind of hard to tell 04:25.870 --> 04:25.050 what you're gonna do . And especially 04:25.050 --> 04:27.780 future drum over a coffee at a 04:27.780 --> 04:31.020 Starbucks said , 04:31.070 --> 04:33.640 what is your primary job title over 04:33.640 --> 04:37.080 there ? What are your , Yeah , I'm a 04:37.080 --> 04:39.302 vehicle commander . I went to structure 04:39.302 --> 04:41.469 vehicles and I have three vehicles are 04:41.469 --> 04:43.524 uh in my command , I guess you could 04:43.524 --> 04:46.770 say , okay , uh 04:46.780 --> 04:49.820 morality , uh , U . S . Forces over 04:49.820 --> 04:52.850 there . Uh actually we're all pretty 04:52.850 --> 04:56.060 good uh in all honesty . Um get a lot 04:56.060 --> 04:58.171 of care packages you get a lot of the 04:58.171 --> 05:00.780 USO and uh you know , all the different 05:00.780 --> 05:02.724 organizations in this packages and 05:02.724 --> 05:05.130 stuff . And um but yeah , it's pretty 05:05.130 --> 05:08.760 good . It's more uh of course alongside 05:08.760 --> 05:10.649 with the packages . But it's more 05:10.649 --> 05:13.470 actually seeing the physical change of 05:13.470 --> 05:15.637 the country that we're in watching the 05:15.637 --> 05:17.859 people and every and we're getting more 05:17.859 --> 05:20.192 and more support from the people itself , 05:20.192 --> 05:22.192 the ordinary citizens more tips and 05:22.192 --> 05:25.050 helping these people . And so that of 05:25.050 --> 05:27.070 course I believe on my my personal 05:27.070 --> 05:29.126 opinion improves memory a lot more . 05:29.126 --> 05:31.070 That's actually knowing that these 05:31.070 --> 05:33.014 people are really appreciative and 05:33.014 --> 05:35.237 they're starting to help us and working 05:35.237 --> 05:37.459 with your care package you guys looking 05:37.459 --> 05:39.570 for for the most part , there will be 05:39.570 --> 05:41.681 the number one thing you can get . Uh 05:41.681 --> 05:44.014 that's kind of a difference per soldier . 05:44.014 --> 05:46.014 Uh , some people , some people like 05:46.014 --> 05:48.237 beef jerky , some people like CVS , you 05:48.237 --> 05:50.459 know , it's just random . Uh , we get a 05:50.459 --> 05:52.681 pretty good uh , pretty good assortment 05:52.681 --> 05:54.880 of goodies , but uh , you know , just 05:54.890 --> 05:57.001 Mementos from back home . Some people 05:57.001 --> 05:59.168 like to sleep in a t shirt that says , 05:59.168 --> 06:01.168 you know , whether Budweiser or you 06:01.168 --> 06:03.168 know , I love Wyoming . Just little 06:03.168 --> 06:05.334 things like that . Really just kind of 06:05.334 --> 06:07.557 make you feel that people back home are 06:07.557 --> 06:09.779 still thinking about you and it keeps , 06:09.779 --> 06:11.723 that keeps you in touch with where 06:11.723 --> 06:13.890 you're from . Uh the letters , letters 06:13.890 --> 06:16.112 from my mom and dad are always good . I 06:16.112 --> 06:18.223 hope they're watching . Well , I will 06:18.223 --> 06:20.390 definitely do everything I can to make 06:20.390 --> 06:20.150 sure they can get a copy of this tape . 06:20.160 --> 06:24.010 I'm again , I'll try them again today . 06:24.090 --> 06:25.979 I know the little muscle shoals , 06:25.979 --> 06:29.870 correct father and I'll try 06:29.870 --> 06:31.981 them again today and see if I can , I 06:31.981 --> 06:34.203 can find my calls probably no less than 06:34.203 --> 06:37.480 six or seven times . Well , they're 06:37.480 --> 06:40.620 getting up there in age that , so 06:40.620 --> 06:42.787 they're getting up there and they want 06:42.787 --> 06:44.898 to sleep in a little bit later . Uh , 06:44.898 --> 06:47.270 what is the , some of the things I 06:47.270 --> 06:49.381 guess you missed . Get over there and 06:49.381 --> 06:51.548 do it on the other side of the earth . 06:51.830 --> 06:53.997 There are some of the things it's over 06:53.997 --> 06:57.670 here in the United States . I missed it 06:57.670 --> 07:00.590 across my family uh most uh they're 07:00.590 --> 07:03.450 always on my mind . Um But it's just 07:03.450 --> 07:06.860 the with me the security and the safety 07:06.860 --> 07:09.520 feeling and a lot of guys like that um 07:09.550 --> 07:11.717 over there you don't have to you don't 07:11.717 --> 07:13.883 worry about something coming in on you 07:13.883 --> 07:15.883 or going down the road and somebody 07:15.883 --> 07:17.939 trying to shoot her , you blowing up 07:17.939 --> 07:20.050 and it's happening , we've been hit a 07:20.050 --> 07:22.161 few times and it's pretty traumatic I 07:22.161 --> 07:24.217 guess you could say but it's part of 07:24.217 --> 07:26.439 what we do so you don't dwell on it but 07:26.439 --> 07:28.900 I think uh I guess the safety , you 07:28.900 --> 07:30.956 know just knowing that you're okay , 07:30.956 --> 07:33.067 the security , you know it's not like 07:33.067 --> 07:35.289 it but I guess that's that's about it . 07:35.289 --> 07:37.511 The main thing you said you've been hit 07:37.511 --> 07:40.730 before , you know roger . Well of 07:40.730 --> 07:44.360 course the unit but well we I was in a 07:44.370 --> 07:47.200 large explosion of a large I'd back in 07:47.200 --> 07:51.120 january . It was propellant , some 07:51.120 --> 07:53.231 sort propelling it was stuffed into a 07:53.231 --> 07:55.398 pipe underneath a paved road so it was 07:55.398 --> 07:57.870 undetectable um blew my striker 07:57.880 --> 07:59.936 actually up into the air and over on 07:59.936 --> 08:02.047 its side actually ejected me from the 08:02.047 --> 08:04.360 vehicle so I kind of went airborne for 08:04.360 --> 08:07.770 a while with a fair shoot . Um But 08:07.780 --> 08:11.220 it's the explosion itself and 08:11.230 --> 08:14.080 a regular improved road actually left a 08:14.080 --> 08:16.410 hole big enough to park a sedan and and 08:16.410 --> 08:19.760 every one of us walked away from that . 08:19.770 --> 08:21.881 It's just amazing . It's just amazing 08:21.881 --> 08:23.659 what these vehicles do for us . 08:25.800 --> 08:28.370 Is that all like the extent to come 08:28.370 --> 08:32.320 back . Uh huh . No sir , not at all . 08:32.330 --> 08:35.680 Uh It there's there's a lot more , 08:35.690 --> 08:39.530 you've been a big lobster 08:39.540 --> 08:43.110 uh daily , what is that 08:43.110 --> 08:45.930 like ? How do you how do you get up in 08:45.930 --> 08:48.260 the morning or late in the afternoon or 08:48.260 --> 08:50.790 late at night and what you're about to 08:50.800 --> 08:53.130 go out and do or you're about to walk 08:53.130 --> 08:55.810 into is one of the most dangerous thing . 08:55.820 --> 08:57.820 That's the most dangerous thing you 08:57.820 --> 09:00.760 could ever face . I've done with the 09:00.770 --> 09:02.810 majority of these these guys in my 09:02.810 --> 09:05.390 battalion now for going on three years . 09:05.400 --> 09:09.140 Um There it's a huge family and uh 09:09.150 --> 09:11.206 there's nothing I wouldn't do for my 09:11.206 --> 09:13.317 guys and I look I look to my left and 09:13.317 --> 09:15.730 right everyday and I see uh 13 14 guys 09:15.730 --> 09:18.970 I have um uh and there's nothing I 09:18.970 --> 09:21.290 wouldn't do for me . I'll go into thick 09:21.300 --> 09:23.356 uh No matter what it is , I'll go in 09:23.356 --> 09:25.411 there with them and they do the same 09:25.411 --> 09:27.300 thing for me . It's something you 09:27.300 --> 09:29.356 really I was speaking earlier with a 09:29.356 --> 09:32.820 friend , but it's just anything you can 09:32.830 --> 09:35.052 do for your family , you know it's kind 09:35.052 --> 09:37.052 of like it's a huge brotherhood and 09:37.052 --> 09:39.163 there's nothing I wouldn't do for the 09:39.163 --> 09:41.386 guys and kind of trump's whatever might 09:41.386 --> 09:45.240 be outside the gate , but you 09:45.240 --> 09:49.150 don't have to get it if you like but uh 09:49.300 --> 09:53.055 plays a big role . Uh They always 09:53.055 --> 09:56.645 plays a big role . Uh you know , I 09:56.655 --> 09:59.315 probably don't make it a chapel uh as 09:59.315 --> 10:01.426 much as I should , I've been a couple 10:01.426 --> 10:04.725 of times since uh deploying here but 10:04.735 --> 10:07.275 uh you never , you never fail 10:07.405 --> 10:09.795 personally , I never failed to get in 10:09.795 --> 10:12.017 the vehicle and going on to the gate to 10:12.017 --> 10:14.365 just , you know , ask those guys a one 10:14.365 --> 10:16.625 more day , you know , just give me back 10:16.625 --> 10:18.792 here today and then I'll ask you again 10:18.792 --> 10:20.847 tomorrow , but faith has a lot to do 10:20.847 --> 10:23.014 with it and we have great chaplains in 10:23.014 --> 10:25.125 a great ministry team here with every 10:25.125 --> 10:27.347 religion that the guys practice here on 10:27.347 --> 10:30.135 the fob . So , but it's a good source 10:30.135 --> 10:32.275 of strength and the army does a great 10:32.275 --> 10:34.386 job of actually providing that outlet 10:34.386 --> 10:37.005 for us uh when , when times get tough I 10:37.005 --> 10:39.775 guess that you rely on 10:43.205 --> 10:46.785 that and uh the guys around me , I mean 10:46.795 --> 10:49.975 it all boils down for me that uh you 10:49.975 --> 10:52.142 know the guys around me in my family , 10:52.142 --> 10:54.142 you know , I get to , you know , it 10:54.142 --> 10:56.308 would be just sitting in uh sitting on 10:56.308 --> 10:58.531 my bed and writing a long letter to mom 10:58.531 --> 11:00.808 or for the wife or somebody , you know , 11:00.808 --> 11:03.031 but uh you know the guys around you and 11:03.031 --> 11:02.905 then you know , you always know God's 11:02.905 --> 11:05.127 there , you know , and I always want my 11:05.127 --> 11:07.285 family's there . So those two things 11:07.285 --> 11:10.215 and my guys are always around me and so 11:10.225 --> 11:12.315 I always secured 11:12.635 --> 11:16.015 uh what do you have any idea when 11:16.015 --> 11:19.035 you're supposed to be coming home ? Uh , 11:19.045 --> 11:22.675 hopefully before christmas ? But uh , 11:22.685 --> 11:24.865 we have , we have a general idea you 11:24.865 --> 11:28.635 can't say , I guess . Uh , well nothing 11:28.635 --> 11:30.802 set in stone in the army . You learned 11:30.802 --> 11:33.390 that early on . So , uh , I don't want 11:33.390 --> 11:35.370 to give mom and daddy , you know , 11:35.380 --> 11:39.000 false over , uh , obviously here 11:39.210 --> 11:41.660 over christmas . Uh 11:42.810 --> 11:45.970 huh . Yeah . Well actually I had to 11:45.970 --> 11:48.303 think about that . But then you're like , 11:48.303 --> 11:50.414 well if I make this one , I'm missing 11:50.414 --> 11:52.790 mexican . So it's like a band aid , You 11:52.790 --> 11:55.012 know , let's rip it all off at once you 11:55.012 --> 11:57.123 have done with and get back into it . 11:57.123 --> 12:00.290 So , uh , I stay in good contact with 12:00.300 --> 12:02.950 my family and I'm pretty proud of that . 12:02.960 --> 12:06.680 Uh , it's hard , but we make it , 12:06.690 --> 12:09.950 uh , 12:13.580 --> 12:17.060 uh , well , 12:17.070 --> 12:20.220 uh , personal opinions on and such like 12:20.220 --> 12:23.230 that , you know . Uh , the main thing 12:23.240 --> 12:25.130 is it spoke earlier about people 12:25.130 --> 12:27.400 beating their drums . I believe we're 12:27.400 --> 12:29.520 here for the right reason . Uh , it's 12:29.520 --> 12:31.631 hard . You can't pick a time to go to 12:31.631 --> 12:33.853 combat . You can't pick a time to go to 12:33.853 --> 12:35.909 war . It had to have happened . Um , 12:35.909 --> 12:38.490 these people , if you were here and 12:38.490 --> 12:40.840 actually saw the country and how 12:40.840 --> 12:42.960 beautiful it can be . Uh , you're 12:42.960 --> 12:44.793 surrounded by just the cradle of 12:44.793 --> 12:46.682 civilization is around , you were 12:46.682 --> 12:48.738 around ancient biblical cities and I 12:48.738 --> 12:50.849 get to see those cities and the ruins 12:50.849 --> 12:52.738 of these cities and uh , you look 12:52.738 --> 12:54.904 around the people and just , it's just 12:54.904 --> 12:57.182 been been put down too long . You know , 12:57.182 --> 12:59.071 almost half a century now and now 12:59.071 --> 13:01.238 they're going to , they're going to be 13:01.238 --> 13:01.160 free and then go to rule themselves . 13:01.170 --> 13:03.503 You know , the way they should . And uh , 13:03.503 --> 13:06.120 again , we're here for the right reason 13:06.130 --> 13:08.241 and we're going to stay here until we 13:08.241 --> 13:10.463 get it done done right where they can , 13:10.463 --> 13:12.741 they can take control of their country . 13:12.741 --> 13:14.741 I fully believe in what we're doing 13:14.741 --> 13:13.460 here .