Working at the Combined Press Information Center has afforded me with great opportunities. A few days ago, I was able to sit and speak to two journalists at dinner.  Our conversation started with them asking basic questions about me. Where am I from, how long have I been in the Army, how do I like being in Iraq, etc. I have been asked these questions so many times now that it is almost like second nature to answer them.

After the normal questions, we started talking about their future endeavors. They told me about their previous embedding (embedding is when journalists are able to come to Iraq to stay with a military unit and have one on one time to talk to, see, and learn about what Soldiers do and what it means to be a Soldier. This gives journalists a chance to write about these Soldiers and their mission, their experience trying to get to the CPIC, and other things along those lines.

The conversation finally turned to the idea of being young and being in the military. They brought up the fact that there are some people who are not supportive of Soldiers because of policies that Soldiers have no control over. They asked how I felt about having to be deployed and protecting those people who don’t support Soldiers.

I sat for a minute wondering what I was going to say. How do I honestly answer this question? These two journalists are sitting in front of me, waiting silently for my answer. I knew I would not be able to all of a sudden change the subject, so I started to really think about my next choice of words. Then I remembered the many care packages we’ve received from strangers, the words of encouragement through emails, and the lovely letters written by the many supporters of Soldiers.  

I decided my answer would express my true feelings, so I spoke. I told them it’s not the people who oppose us but the ones that are supportive of what we have to do that makes this job worth it. The people who join together with organizations to send us care packages to the elderly women who simply keep us in their prayers at night to the children that write us thank you letters are the reasons we fight for the rights and liberties of citizens.

Drawings from children with ‘thank you’ written on it have probably been the best thing I’ve received. Although the many care packages from strangers who want to give anything from soap to toothbrushes to even homemade cookies are greatly appreciated.  However, the heartfelt letters from children are definitely the best gifts. These are the people we are protecting. These are the people who believe in what we are doing. Even if people may not agree with the policies (or understand the policies which many children probably do not), they completely support what we are over here doing.

Before I was deployed, I would sometimes forget that for many seeing a person wearing a military uniform is an extraordinary thing. I would go to a grocery store after working at the unit during my one weekend of the month and I would have older ladies come up to me and just to say ‘thank you’ for serving. These women who are generations older than I am are thanking me.

Since I’ve been deployed, going through airports, meeting journalists, explaining to people what I do, the ‘thank you’s’ have increased. I’m not sure if people realize it or not but these two simple words definitely helps.

These were the thoughts I wanted to express when answer the journalists’ questions. Hopefully, I was able to show them why I’m willing to give up a weekend out of the month, a couple of weeks out of the year, and from time to time a year of my life to serve.