slide to the left's Journal

Because of a very slow security line on my way to California for a business trip, I missed my flight. While on standby for the next one I notices a soldier at the same gate as me. Having a brother in the army, I felt a sort of kinship and struck up a conversation. He was stationed in Iraq and had 2 weeks in between his second and third tour. He had not been home in 3 years (he is 21) and was going to surprise his family. He was in the first battles of this war and gave me a lot of insight.

He was in a battle where women and children had guns and were shooting at them and they had to shoot back. The UMCJ got involved and the only reason they were not in trouble is because of the inbeded reporter who had video of the Iraqis.

He is incharge of a unit. He has lost 22 of his own men, including his best friend. They were walking down the street and his best friend kicked a Pepsi can that had a IED in it. He blew up with the soldier I was talking to watching.

He likes the Arab culture. He has spent the night with families and is amazed at the hospitality. They will spend all they have to give you a good dinner.

He told me the death toll is over 4000, not just 2500.

He has a 57 page booklet (published by the Army) that gives a run down of Arab culture and society and Islam. Being a Middle East Studies minor in college,I took a look at it. It was dead on. It was astonishingly accurate about the culture and the religion. It talked about how most Arabs and Muslims are not terrorists. It gave all the hand gestures that you would use. It talked about the concept of time in Arab culture (there really is none) and how 90 minutes is not considered late.

He talked about seeing people with posters at a protest in the US with signs thanking God for all the dead soldiers. Did that happen? I don't really think so.

I think he probably thought I was a war supporter. I was against the was in Afghanistan. I didn't feel the need to tell him.