Soldiers Experiences

The soldiers that are deployed in Iraq encounter many challenging situations on a daily basis. They have to watch out for civilians that are against there presence being in there country. Also they have to be observant of people shooting from hidden holes in the wall, bombs and attacks on there life. I also read about soldiers that have been injured due to the war. In one particular story that I read, it was about a soldier that was injured. Although he was injured he stayed in the Iraq with his unit. Instead of being outside in combat with the rest of the soldiers he was restricted to being away from arms way. Reading about the soldiers experiences gave be an understanding about what occurs while they are away at war. I was unaware of the challenges that they face on a daily basis. I now know partially what the soldiers go through while they are in Iraq.

A Veteran's Recounting

Blog titled Thursday, 11 January 2007 10:29 P GMT-07 in www.wordsmithatwar.blog-city.com is by a veteran who just came back from Iraq a few months ago. He tells how, “I spent the first six months of last year amidst the chaos and ironic monotony of war. I can still hear the prayers coming over loudspeakers, the distinct sound of artillery fire, whether it is incoming our outgoing, the darkness of the desert sky at night.” But now he’s back from war. “And now I can sit here in the comfort of my own home, my two kids and my future asleep upstairs under glow-in-the-dark solar systems, flanked by super heroes and princesses on glossy posters. And I can smile at the prospect of tomorrow.” He continues talking about his experiences. “I find that war certainly made me appreciate life all the more. War made me more alert, more grateful, more driven, and more humble. In a way I am now part of those paintings of soldiers hanging in the hallways of libraries on military bases, in the VA hospitals, in military museums and government buildings.” He ends the Blog by saying “Thank you, as always, for reading.”
And includes the quote by Samuel Johnson: "To improve the golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life." Samuel Johnson

What strikes me about this blog is the optimism of the writer. He writes from a positive optimistic perspective as opposed to most other war blogs which focus on the negative aspects of war. He is also writing from America not Iraq, six months after he has returned home to his wife and children. I chose this blog in particular simply because I appreciate the warm, positive, happy aura of the posting.

Now I know................

Reading these blogs has made me understand what is really going on with the soldiers psychologically, emotionally, and physically. Many of the soldiers expressed their thoughts and feelings about the war and have suffered a great deal. The first blog Trueman’s Journal he writes about the death of his friend Wise and his life as a civilian. Reading his blog I'm able to understand what my brother might be going through emotionally and psychologically. The quote that stood out to me the most was: “When you live in a combat zone, if your mind isn’t there on that street then the next upturned rifle might be your own. In war, to dwell on the dead is to endanger the living. Still, they’d had their chance to grieve and for most that was enough to carry them through the deployment.” http://www.livejournal.com/users/rebelcoyote
My brother has been serving the military for about 15 years he first went to the marines and then went to the army. Throughout his time in the military I’ve seen positive changes; he’s more disciplined, loyal to his family and kids, keeps his promises and overall as they say “it made a man out of him”. The only time I saw that the military really made him a cold person was after his first voyage to Iraq. When my aunt died I couldn’t understand why my brother was so cold about it. They were so close and she practically raised him until the age of five. He was more sensitive before he went to Iraq and I think being there and experiencing the things that he experienced may have affected him emotionally and caused him to maintain this military concept that trueman explains. Even trueman shows this when he writes about the time he visited his friend’s grave, he couldn’t express his emotions however he was able to find his comfort in his own “soldier way”.
Many of the soldiers are mourning for the death of their fellow soldires, commanders and friends. In the second blog we have read “The Crew of Alpha 3/2” the speech that is posted for the death of the five soldier in a way is disturbing to me.“You led by example, you fought the good fight, you ran a good race. Well done and be thou at peace. We, Able Company and the entire Panther Battalion will carry on your fight so that your death will not be in vain. We will continue to take the fight to the enemy. We will continue to close with and destroy our nation’s enemies so that your memory will live on forever”. http://www.adayiniraq.blogspot.com I feel as he is saying to continue to kill more people in order to justify the death on the five soldiers and more. The nation’s enemy the he is addressing also includes innocent children, women and men. Continuing this war is not only killing our soldiers but innocent Iraqis. Is that Humane? The soldiers are sent to Iraq regardless of their views on the war and by the commander stating that “collectively we know that without Alpha 3/2 we must go on, for that’s what they would want us to do.” The commander is assuming this because the soldiers don’t have a voice of their own they must comply with whatever decision the military makes for them. Even while they are dead they still making decisions for them. How free are our soldiers?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eva Lugo

The solider entry i read was the one whose best friend Wise died. I really felt bad for the solider because being in Iraq and losing the closest person to you during that time must be really horrible. I disagree with him though, in one part when he said that America and its programs are helping the Iraqi people. We as Americans may feel we are helping them, but maybe they feel they were fine. I mean that is their culture and religion. We wouldn't like it if like some country comes in and starts changing things. Yeah! the schools and programs are great but to assume that EVERYONE in Iraq loves the changes is very close minded and self fish. I feel that we are helping the Iraqis but some of them don't want it. Overall I admire the solider for all that he went through and it is good to see that he is alive and home.

Civilian Soldiers: Middle Ground

There is so much written about the horrific nature of war. I myself have never and don't ever wish to partake in that universal constant of history, but I greatly respect those who do so I don’t. The root of the conflict between soldiers and orders is that they aren’t considered citizens, when in my opinion they deserve the right more than anyone. The functional purpose for this separation between citizens and soldiers is clearly for the development of a strong military. All the things that go on during basic training could never happen to citizens without a court case, and the sacrifice of opinion and in some ways humanity only makes the soldiers ever nobler.
The military is clearly a tool, used to do great things, but not always positive things. If the personal opinion of every soldier were considered it would be the equivalent of a heavy-handed bureaucracy, and nothing would get done. Yet it is still disappointing that the bravest of us, the ones who actually fight to defend our freedom, can’t enjoy the spoils of their own war, if they even wanted to be there in the first place. The military is a tool and tools do not decide how they are used, but they also don’t have a voice, and our soldiers do.
The greatest thing about the modern phenomena of solider blogs is that soldiers can have their voices heard. Though still infantile, we can get an idea of how the soldiers themselves fell. Though they can’t complain to their CO’s and change things in that manner, they may just be able to reach the entire world, and ask the voters to empower someone who they believe will use the tool of the military more effectively. This is a new level of freedom for soldiers that strikes a great middle ground, and the restriction of this freedom would be tragic.

War are Politics

Dear Journal:

Today I read a couple of blogs from the American Soldier in Iraq. There was one that got my eye, "Submerged in a River in Egypt". This blog made me think about the War, and if it's really a War about Terrorism or a Republican and Democratic power War. Buck Sargent say that George W. Bush is doing this country just like what "Uncle Tom's Cabin did to Slavery", putting it out in the fields to work his labor and his hands stay clean. He goes on talking about "I've noticed a trend among people who persist in calling for a return to the draft, then always seem to be well past service age or you don't see too many of these placards being hoisted on College campuses, but what these artists fail to realize is that contrary to popular belief the Military draft is still very much alive. As of 1973 it's been entirely optional. I agree with Buck Sargent opinion about the War being for a Political stand and not for terrorism or American safety, because I come to realize that the area in which the War is being fought has nothing to do with the 911 accident or people that started it. (http://www.bucksargent.net/2007/03/submerged-in-river-in-egypt.html)

Open your eyes America!

As I was reading Truman's journal, I noticed that on December 1st, 2005, he wrote of a solider he saw that was so young that it shocked him that this soldier is a veteran. But it was not that that caught my eyes for I know many young men and women I graduated from high school with who are soldiers. Three have returned home; one is on his way back again, one have lost a leg and the other does not know her fate as to whether she'll be sent back or not. No it was not that that cought my eye. Rather, it was this statement, " I suppose that although everyone is aware that there is a war going on and that that that war is fought by an army which is composed primarily of young men, it's so far removed from the context of our daily lives that it's strange to meet someone who was actually a part of it" (http://rebelcoyote.livejournal.com/). There is so much truth to this sad statement. We hear that we are at war, but there is no way that we can feel the true intensity of the situation that we are placed in because it is not all around us. It's on the news, but its not next door. When we meet a soldier who is fresh from war or have been wounded in the war, it almost seems surreal. But imagine if you lived in Iraq; this war is next door, it's down the block, its on your front steps; and everyday you wake up to the sound of bombs and the fear of not knowing when your block will be the next on the news. No this reality is not our mentality. We hear it, but we do not see it, at least we DO NOT REALLY SEE IT. But they do; The soldirs, the iraqi civilians and soldiers, they are the ones living this tragedy every day. Its like a desease; they just dont know when their time will be up, it can be the next minute, tomorrow, tonight!!!