The Cheerful Soldier

The cheerful soldier

As I sat by the phone, I rocked back and forth on my seat impatiently, just waiting and

wondering. The wait was long, but I finally heard a ring, then a second one. That's when I

reacted and picked the phone up. I said, "Hello". It was my friend who greeted me with good

news. Immediately after she had greeted me, her brother, who was on the other end as well, said,

"What do you want to know about my experiences in Iraq?." He said it in a sad and almost

irritated tone. I hesitated for two seconds. I didn't know what to say next. Then he said sounding

calmer, "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that. You can come over tomorrow. After all, you are

my sister's friend, so I'll help you with your assignment." Feeling relieved, I said, "Thanks a lot,

I really appreciate it."

The next day I drove to my friend's house a little after four in the afternoon. I was a little

nervous thinking to myself, "What if he doesn't answer using specific details?. I need all the

information I can get". I rang the door bell. My friend opened the door and greeted me with a

hug. As I entered, I smelled something delicious cooking. Surprisingly, her brother was in the

kitchen cooking. I asked, "Why is your brother cooking now? Does he want me to come back

later?". My friend answered, "No not at all. He is cooking because he wants you to feel

welcome, and he said there is nothing better than eating, at least for him, before answering the

tough questions you will be asking him." He cooked what he called his specialty, spaghetti and

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roasted chicken. After eating a delicious meal, I went straight to my questions. He looked very

relaxed, confident and ready. He preferred not to give his real name, so I will call him Jr. The

interview took place in the family living room. The walls were covered with many family

pictures. In the pictures there were some children, teenagers and what appeared to be their

grandparents. There was also a picture of a baby boy with his mom and dad and wedding

pictures of my friend and her husband. The pictures that caught my attention more were the ones

where he was in his uniform looking very proud and a picture of another soldier who looked

much older than he did.

What if anything in specific inspired you to join the armed forces?

Hmm...well that's a tough one. No I'm just kidding. Ever since I was in high school it became an interest. I guess hearing my brother and my friends talking about it made me think about it more. Then I dreamed of being in a uniform and just feeling important. That's how I felt about it when I was in high school, but as I got older like my second year in college, I thought about it in more serious terms. I saw more clearly the meaning of it. So that's when I joined in my second year in college. It actually benefitted me with college by paying the rest of my way through.

What did you have to do to get into the armed forces?

My brother guided me through some of the steps; he was already halfway there. First I had to find a recruiter, which wasn't difficult; my brother's recruiter helped me with that. That was just the beginning. Then I was required to take a standard test, which I'm ashamed to say I failed the first time. I got a second chance to take it, and I got a very good score. Then came the rigorous training which included some classes in an actual classroom. It is not just all physical training like many people think.

What career among the many that the Army offers did you chose and why?

First I got some information about every career. I looked at the information over and over, just to be certain that I understood what they were about. The one that caught my interest was Field Artillery Automated Tactical Data System Specialist. You must be thinking are all those big words a career name?. I'm just messing with you. But, yea, that's the career I chose. Let me tell you briefly what it's about. In the field I am responsible for operating field artillery tactical data, meaning that I have to maintain and operate communication systems which are extremely important. I also have to determine the location of the enemy using computers and specialized calculations. I assist fire control operations and train other soldiers. I read maps

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and charts. And I have to be fit. That's pretty much some of what I do. If I tell you more we

will never finish.

What do you think about this recent war with Iraq? Why did you go and how did you feel when you were there?

Many people have many different opinions about the war. I have my own. I don't think mine

is necessarily correct, so I rather keep it to myself. I just have one word for it, unnecessary.

Why did I go?. I had no choice. When you're called to duty, especially war, you can't refuse. There is nothing you can do. That's it. You just have to. If I had a choice, I would