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Kevin | ||
Guns firing, soldiers taking their positions and many lives are at stake. No, this is not the set of the next Hollywood movie but the scene of what is going on over in Iraq with our US soldiers.
I recently had a chance to catch up with a Kevin on his MySpace account, a soldier who is serving in Iraq, about his thoughts on the war and where he sees it’s heading; as well as, a chance to spotlight the life of a soldier.
Isaac-Joseph: Kevin, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you. Can you tell our audience a little about yourself including where you are from, your age, amount of time served in Iraq, and how did you come to join the armed forces?
Kevin: Well, first I would like to say thanks for having me IJ [short for Isaac-Joseph]. I come from Portland, Maine, small city on the southern part of the state attending school at the University of Southern Maine. Right now, I am just trying to figure out what I want to do before I pick a major. I am 21 and I’ve been over in Iraq for about 6 months now. I came to join the Army two and a half years ago when I finally decided I wanted to try something new, and have some new experiences, as well as to challenge myself.
Isaac-Joseph: Before we get into our questions, I wanted to ask you about your modeling. Is this something that you would like to do on a professional level once your tour of duty ends with the armed force you are serving?
Kevin: I really enjoy modeling and am really looking forward to continuing as soon as I get back. I had just gotten started in that before I left but plan on going as far as possible in that professionally.
Isaac-Joseph: Here we go Kevin. Should we even be in Iraq in the first place? Why or Why not?
Kevin: Before I came over here I used to think that we shouldn't be here because it was causing a lot of heartache for people on both sides, but now that I am here and can see the progress firsthand. I believe we should be here. People are finally starting to have some freedom and they are very thankful for what we are doing. The only things you hear on the news are about the bad things, but what you don’t hear about is building children schools, training the Iraqi police to secure their neighborhoods, getting the economy going, and giving people the freedom to walk the streets without fear; which I think is definitely worth the sacrifice our country is making.
Isaac-Joseph: Here is a big question that I have always wanted to ask someone serving over in Iraq--Are we winning according to you? Why or Why not?
Kevin: In many people’s eyes, we are not because they are not there in the streets seeing how things are turning out. All they hear is what is told to them in the media, and I can say is that I am seeing more and more progress every day, and to be honest we are not fighting conventional war, this is civil unrest. We are securing the streets and making the overall quality of life better for the people of Iraq which in my mind is a success.
Isaac-Joseph: Kevin, what have been some of your best memories while over in Iraq?
Kevin: My best memories have been handing out supplies to locals and seeing them smile. There is no feeling quite like when you get the privilege to help people and see the results. I also have many good memories of myself and my battle buddies joking and spending time together.
Isaac-Joseph: What have been some of the worst memories? What has been the one pivotal moment that stood out that you have exclaimed, "We are doing the right or wrong thing by being over in Iraq"?
Kevin: In conflict, there are always casualties, and unfortunately there are those who we hold close to us that are lost. Losing a battle buddy is a very dark and sad time for any soldier and we have to experience that being in combat. Losing my battle buddy made me for a moment question things. But afterwards, I did not want his past efforts to be in vain, so I became more motivated to accomplish my missions.
Isaac-Joseph: What has been your overall fear serving over in Iraq?
Kevin: As with many soldiers, no one wants to go home in a box. We all want to see our families again, and get to feel the soil of our homeland. And IEDs (improvised explosive devices) are one thing that most of the time we cannot control. So there is always that chance that our luck can run out. That is the main fear of any soldier over here, but we try not to think about it so much.
Isaac-Joseph: If you had it all over to do again, do you have any regrets about going over to Iraq? Why or Why not?
Kevin: If I had to do it all over again, I definitely would go again. I have no regrets at all because this was a very positive experience for me and it has helped me grow as a person. I have enjoyed helping people and will have stories to tell for the rest of my life; I wouldn’t trade anything for that.
Isaac-Joseph: Kevin, I must add this one--Do you have anything to say to the protesters? I am curious as to how do you feel about these protesters and do you feel that they are doing the right course of action? Why or Why not?
Kevin: I would say that, it is your right given to us by many past sacrifices to express yourself how you feel. Many people have different reasons for protesting, and many people deal with their feelings or situations differently. So, I can understand there will always be protesters. Also, most protesters are very supportive of the soldiers but they just don’t feel that what we are doing is working, and I would have to tell them to not believe everything you hear on the news.
Isaac-Joseph: When people come up to you, send you email, or speak with you to congratulate you for serving over Iraq. Describe how you are feeling:
Kevin: I always feel a sense of pride when people go out of their way to thank me or congratulate me. I am definitely very appreciative as well of all of the support I have received. And I believe that is one of the things that make our forces the strongest in the world.
Isaac--Joseph: Describe what have you missed most about the USA?
Kevin: Here are a lot of things I miss about the US. Obviously family but I would have to say I miss a lot of the simple things as well; such as driving my car, going to the mall, doing martial arts, going to the club and even school. There are many things we take for granted in every day life that people don’t realize make our country a great place to be. I always like to say "You don’t really know what you have until you’ve lost it" and that is a very true statement.
Isaac--Joseph: Thank you for allowing us to pick your brains. We really appreciate the feedback you have given us and to help show your side of this War.
Kevin: Thank you IJ and everyone reading, I appreciate the opportunity to give you my opinion, and all of the support.
Photo used in this story was provided by Kevin.
