WEBVTT 00:00.040 --> 00:02.090 first of all today . Fourth of july 00:02.090 --> 00:04.450 here in the U . S . Of a what's fourth 00:04.450 --> 00:06.290 of july like over where you are 00:08.630 --> 00:11.430 pretty hot normal day 00:13.930 --> 00:16.770 are you are the troops on christmas is 00:16.770 --> 00:18.870 always a tough one tough holiday for 00:18.870 --> 00:21.092 the guys to be away from their families 00:21.670 --> 00:24.160 is because of where you are right now . 00:24.160 --> 00:26.940 Is this equally as tough ? Because it 00:26.940 --> 00:29.051 is the fourth of july is Independence 00:29.060 --> 00:31.282 day in our country ? What's it like for 00:31.282 --> 00:34.860 you ? Yeah , that's pretty 00:34.860 --> 00:37.860 tough . But you know , just gotta drive 00:37.860 --> 00:40.027 onto your job and I'm proud to be here 00:40.027 --> 00:42.027 to serve my country . Your thoughts 00:42.027 --> 00:43.916 about your family on this state , 00:43.916 --> 00:45.693 especially your wife Michelle . 00:47.730 --> 00:49.897 Sure they're going fine . I can't wait 00:49.897 --> 00:51.980 to be home to see him about my life 00:53.860 --> 00:55.860 because it then what's it been like 00:55.860 --> 00:57.971 over there for you done since you got 00:57.971 --> 01:00.470 there ? Is it what you expected ? Is it 01:00.480 --> 01:02.170 worse ? Is it better 01:04.470 --> 01:07.270 way ? I believe it's getting better . 01:08.200 --> 01:12.180 But you know , I 01:12.190 --> 01:14.357 think we're doing a good job over here 01:14.357 --> 01:16.468 and it's only getting better strikers 01:16.468 --> 01:19.740 are doing pretty good over here . What 01:19.750 --> 01:22.330 have you been going through personally ? 01:22.810 --> 01:26.140 Have you had any combat yourself ? Have 01:26.140 --> 01:28.470 you encountered any insurgents And 01:28.470 --> 01:30.526 what's it been like ? I mean we hear 01:30.526 --> 01:32.748 all we see all the news clips that come 01:32.748 --> 01:34.970 back here about what you guys have been 01:34.970 --> 01:37.192 facing ? We see the ones that have been 01:37.192 --> 01:39.414 killed etcetera . What is Don Westbrook 01:39.414 --> 01:41.637 been seeing and what's it been like for 01:41.637 --> 01:45.220 you personally ? Way 01:45.870 --> 01:46.990 pretty exhilarating 01:47.230 --> 01:51.180 way ran into him a few times 01:51.180 --> 01:53.291 and we did our jobs took care of it , 01:53.830 --> 01:57.220 making it safer in the school , you're 01:57.230 --> 01:59.600 trained not to be scared . I have got 01:59.610 --> 02:01.721 to believe that when you do encounter 02:01.721 --> 02:04.220 these guys you do get scared . The 02:04.220 --> 02:06.220 adrenaline does start to run . Am I 02:06.220 --> 02:08.109 right on that or what's it like ? 02:11.500 --> 02:14.320 Yeah , you do get scared you know , but 02:14.870 --> 02:17.890 just follow your training and do what 02:17.890 --> 02:19.860 you do every day and you know your 02:19.860 --> 02:22.680 whole life , you worry about that stuff 02:22.680 --> 02:24.680 later , make sure get your job done 02:24.680 --> 02:26.820 first . How long have you been over 02:26.820 --> 02:29.250 there Don ? And are you counting ? Are 02:29.250 --> 02:31.472 you down to the number of days that you 02:31.472 --> 02:33.528 got left before you can finally come 02:33.528 --> 02:36.055 home ? I know I was in the nervous and 02:36.055 --> 02:38.111 I know what it was like we had those 02:38.111 --> 02:40.166 days where you were there . I say no 02:40.175 --> 02:44.015 way . I got about 2 , 02:44.015 --> 02:45.682 2.5 months before I come on . 02:45.682 --> 02:48.225 Wait , 02:48.235 --> 02:52.075 what if the army said to you don we 02:52.075 --> 02:55.105 want you to go back , would you do it 02:55.115 --> 02:58.845 definitely . Why ? I'm 02:58.855 --> 03:01.835 just proud to serve my country . How 03:01.835 --> 03:03.946 about the troops over there ? There's 03:03.946 --> 03:06.168 been some talk back here that we should 03:06.168 --> 03:08.335 have a pullout strategy that we should 03:08.335 --> 03:10.335 have a timetable and getting out of 03:10.335 --> 03:12.557 here ? Rock , how is that affecting you 03:12.557 --> 03:14.557 guys over there ? Is that having an 03:14.557 --> 03:16.725 impact on morale at all or how do the 03:16.735 --> 03:18.545 troops deal as far as a get out 03:18.545 --> 03:22.455 strategy way . I mean 03:22.465 --> 03:26.060 there's rumors going around but wait , 03:26.530 --> 03:28.770 brush them off whenever we just come 03:28.770 --> 03:31.260 home , come home so hopefully it's soon . 03:32.840 --> 03:34.951 Does it affect morale at all when you 03:34.951 --> 03:38.860 hear that type of stuff ? A little 03:38.860 --> 03:41.940 bit . Yeah , but you know , brush it 03:41.940 --> 03:45.100 off , keep going . What's been the most 03:45.110 --> 03:48.130 heartwarming thing you're facing a lot 03:48.130 --> 03:51.580 of danger over there and we see about 03:51.590 --> 03:53.534 the number of people who are being 03:53.534 --> 03:55.646 killed by the insurgents . What is it 03:55.646 --> 03:59.140 that Don Westbrook finds heartwarming ? 03:59.140 --> 04:01.084 If I I don't even know if you find 04:01.084 --> 04:04.660 anything hard for me . But what do you 04:04.660 --> 04:06.993 think about what we're doing over there ? 04:06.993 --> 04:09.104 I mean is it helping the civilians is 04:09.104 --> 04:11.271 helping the kids ? Is it helping build 04:11.271 --> 04:13.680 schools , that type of thing ? Oh yes , 04:13.690 --> 04:15.634 it's helping everybody over here . 04:15.634 --> 04:17.912 Every day we go out there , we see new , 04:17.912 --> 04:19.857 everything's getting built , those 04:19.857 --> 04:21.746 being rebuilt houses , people are 04:21.746 --> 04:23.968 getting more friendly here . You know , 04:23.968 --> 04:26.190 you see happy faces out there every day 04:26.190 --> 04:29.790 we roll out . Is it tough duty done ? 04:32.710 --> 04:35.220 Yes , it's tough . But you know , so 04:35.220 --> 04:37.331 we're trying to do and we're the best 04:37.331 --> 04:41.190 of it now that you've been over in 04:41.190 --> 04:43.246 Iraq . But let's go back to the fact 04:43.246 --> 04:45.468 that this is Independence Day back home 04:45.468 --> 04:48.360 now that you've been over there because 04:48.370 --> 04:50.537 having the freedom that we have in our 04:50.537 --> 04:52.592 country mean more to you . And if so 04:52.592 --> 04:54.760 how definitely 04:56.500 --> 04:59.890 freedom isn't free and I mean it's just 04:59.890 --> 05:02.057 the little things that you enjoy . You 05:02.057 --> 05:04.279 know , like you know , just sit on your 05:04.279 --> 05:06.057 front porch and not worry about 05:06.057 --> 05:08.150 anything and going to school and you 05:08.150 --> 05:10.094 know , you know , these people are 05:10.094 --> 05:13.660 finally getting , you have that , you 05:13.670 --> 05:16.800 never had it before . You said earlier 05:16.800 --> 05:19.133 down that the army asked you to go back , 05:19.133 --> 05:21.760 you would go in a heartbeat . Why 05:23.250 --> 05:26.750 I'm just proud to be here and to serve 05:26.750 --> 05:30.420 my country . I love my job . Are you 05:30.420 --> 05:31.698 going to be a life for 05:34.010 --> 05:35.200 thinking about it ? 05:37.990 --> 05:40.212 Anything you want to say to your wife , 05:40.212 --> 05:42.434 Michelle , your mom and dad and her mom 05:42.434 --> 05:45.890 and dad . Hi everybody . I love you 05:45.890 --> 05:48.280 Michelle and should be home in a couple 05:48.280 --> 05:51.170 of months . Alright dude , thank you 05:51.170 --> 05:53.003 for serving our country . Really 05:53.003 --> 05:55.610 appreciate it . Give my very , our best 05:55.620 --> 05:57.564 to all the guys over there and the 05:57.564 --> 06:00.100 ladies , we're all proud of you and 06:00.590 --> 06:02.479 good work . And I look forward to 06:02.479 --> 06:04.534 seeing the day when you get home and 06:04.534 --> 06:06.701 let's sit down , tip a couple brewskis 06:06.701 --> 06:09.520 Okay , Alright . That's always good 06:09.520 --> 06:13.140 news . Right ? Alright dude , God bless 06:13.140 --> 06:13.890 you . All right .