Thursday, February 10, 2005
After it is all (nearly) said and done, do you regret your decision to go to Iraq? Would you consider reenlisting in the Guard after your current tour is finished?
I don't regret it, but of course that doesn't mean I enjoyed it. It's just one of those things one has to do. I promised my wife that I would go on one deployment and then get out. Over here, we talk about how much it would cost for us to come back for another tour. I used to say less than a million dollars, but not much less. Now I think it would be a lot more, like five million dollars - tax free. That would of course pay for my family to live on my FOB and be transported in an armored car with body guards.
The Army had a reenlistment program for people whose contract ends within 90 days of leaving the theatre. Soldiers would receive a $15,000 bonus for reenlisting for six years and $7,500 for three years. The Army didn't get enough response, so now they are giving the bonus to anyone whose contract ends within a year. Someone unwittingly joked about it being chump change, but that's what it is. Hey, if it's what you want to do anyway, go for it. But $15,000 for six years? Don't do it for the money.
In what ways (if any) has your experience in Iraq changed you? Have any of your views on society or politics changed and if so, what specifically caused this?
I don't think I've changed, but then again, I haven't been through anything horrible like seeing one of my buddies killed. My views are basically the same. It's just that when you are here, it's reinforced. The oppression of women has made the biggest impression on me. In Falluja, women would sometimes be forced to ride in the back of a vehicle with the animals. Listening to BBC exposed me to oppression and violence e.g. immolation, acid attacks, murder, against women throughout the world. I think it would be very gratifying to be on a hit squad sanctioned to pay retribution to the scum who commit such atrocities.
Should the United States consider military action against other countries such as Iran in order to democratize them? Why or why not?
Not solely to democratize. I think their needs to be a combination of factors. North Korea would be a good candidate: it threatens us and its neighbors and it starves and tortures its people. We should be working very hard for regime change there. If I knew I could be involved in that campaign, I would try to renegotiate my deal with my wife as that's definitely a cause worth fighting for.
I don't regret it, but of course that doesn't mean I enjoyed it. It's just one of those things one has to do. I promised my wife that I would go on one deployment and then get out. Over here, we talk about how much it would cost for us to come back for another tour. I used to say less than a million dollars, but not much less. Now I think it would be a lot more, like five million dollars - tax free. That would of course pay for my family to live on my FOB and be transported in an armored car with body guards.
The Army had a reenlistment program for people whose contract ends within 90 days of leaving the theatre. Soldiers would receive a $15,000 bonus for reenlisting for six years and $7,500 for three years. The Army didn't get enough response, so now they are giving the bonus to anyone whose contract ends within a year. Someone unwittingly joked about it being chump change, but that's what it is. Hey, if it's what you want to do anyway, go for it. But $15,000 for six years? Don't do it for the money.
In what ways (if any) has your experience in Iraq changed you? Have any of your views on society or politics changed and if so, what specifically caused this?
I don't think I've changed, but then again, I haven't been through anything horrible like seeing one of my buddies killed. My views are basically the same. It's just that when you are here, it's reinforced. The oppression of women has made the biggest impression on me. In Falluja, women would sometimes be forced to ride in the back of a vehicle with the animals. Listening to BBC exposed me to oppression and violence e.g. immolation, acid attacks, murder, against women throughout the world. I think it would be very gratifying to be on a hit squad sanctioned to pay retribution to the scum who commit such atrocities.
Should the United States consider military action against other countries such as Iran in order to democratize them? Why or why not?
Not solely to democratize. I think their needs to be a combination of factors. North Korea would be a good candidate: it threatens us and its neighbors and it starves and tortures its people. We should be working very hard for regime change there. If I knew I could be involved in that campaign, I would try to renegotiate my deal with my wife as that's definitely a cause worth fighting for.
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