As you all know, I have been “adopting” service members since September 11, 2001. This has included supporting them through their deployments, helping family members cope with the absence of their loved ones, and being a support system to each of them (if need be) when they return. In the past 10 years I have supported over 100 troops, this year having been a bit more of a challenge because of my medical condition (a tremendous headache since May that makes me feel like I have the weight of an elephant on my head 24 hours a day). Most of the time it is difficult to concentrate, so I guess that will be my excuse for having made the mistake of an identity “mismatch”. (or the one I am going to use. lol). Yesterday I was communicating with a “soldier” in Iraq, asking him if he would be coming home soon. Early in the conversation, I was corrected with my mistake and was told an amazing story. My friend gave me permission to share it with you … because I believe this is a story the entire world should read & know. It will dispel any of the naysayers who believe we never should have invaded Iraq. And it makes me so very proud of my friend, Fisher and our troops. Please feel free comment on this blog, I know he and many of our troops will be reading your thoughts … and remember, we each can make a difference … one person, one breath, one smile, and one life at a time.
Robin (aka “The Sky Angel).
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Ohh I`m sorry Robin! you must have confused me with some other friend of yours!!! but I don`t blame you my friend, becouse I`ve never had the chance to introduce myself to you properly!
I want to tell you my story instead of just telling you what my name is, and I`ll try to be as brief as possible… My name is Fisher… or thats the name I decided to be called, when I was asked to choose an American name by staff seargant Monley when I got a job with the U.S Army. I cannot tell you my real name because it would put me and my family in danger, so you can call me Fisher, lol. Its funny becouse if I wouldn`t have met that soldier in 2003 there wouldn’t be a story to be told, and you would never know about me.They say every thing happens for a reason, and maybe the reason why I met that soldier is to have a story and then tell it to you, or maybe the reason why I`m writting my story to you right now is that may be one day you will tell it to others! I was 23 years old when I quit college and decided to make my counry a better place after it was ruined by insurgents, when I decided to join the American forces to help fight those who wished to distroy what has left of my home, and make harm to my people. now I know you might be thinkin… I could have just joined the Iraqi Army to do that! but then again… if I would`ve, you wouldn`t be reading this story you are reading right now!
I grew up in a house where I was tought that there is no difference whatsoever between humanbeings, no matter what their sex or religoun might be. After operation Iraq Freedom in 2003 had occured, I was 17 years old when I met the first American soldier in a friendly football game between local Iraqies and young American soldiers. It was funny how me and that soldier could communicate with each other but non of us could speak each other`s language! that poorly interactive conversation between us gave me the urge to learn to speak english. now as hard as I tried… I can`t remember his name, Its also funny how ppl we remember the least make the greatest impression on us!. So after that football game, I found myself reading Grammar books, and other books of self teaching english. I told my self the next american soldier I meet again will tell me his stories and I`ll be able to understand!
I kept studying and studying untill without knowing I realised I was the best student in english subject in my school, though that wasn`t my intention, and becouse of that I got accepted in English department in my college later on. In 2007 insurgency was at its peak, and the insurgents killed every one who they suspected to work, or just spoke with the Americans. They were destroying my town, the place where I grew up in, my home… , and they were killing alot of ppl every day including old ppl, women and childern, and also Americans. I felt like I have to do something while I can, I felt that I wasn`t born to sit here and do nothing and watch Iraq tear itself apart, there was a war against terror going on and I wanted to be part of that war.
I knew english, and it was about choosing sides and I have already chosen mine… I wanted to be with the good guys and the good guys happened to be Americans, they happend to be the strongest also. So I thought of quitting college and join the U.S troops, I wanted to help make Iraq a good place again, I wanted to make an ending to this nightmare!. So I did, leave my college, friends and family and went to work with the U.S Army, I was attached to the infantary, I spent two years working with them, two years with two different units, one year with each unit. when the first one left, I was recomended by them to work with the new one that had just arrived. At the beginning, my first days were full of awkwardness, I thought… me being the only Iraqi kid with a bunch of American soulders in one tent, and being from a different back ground concerning the cultural differnces, might have been a bad decision! but the way they let me blend in and kept on hooking me up made me believe that I was no longer a strainger, but a part of one team!
It was our lives on the line, but we didn`t care and we always made fun of it all the time. we use to say… we could die together in one mortar round if the insurgents get lucky, and that round landed on our tent! or WE can get lucky and that round could land somewhere else so we can live another day and eat another MRE!!! After two years of being away from my friends and family, I made alot of american friends, and Iraq kept on gettin better and better, and the insurgency faded away eventually as Iraq stood up on its feet. I was recomended by my team leader Cpt. Briten to move and live in the states if Iraq stays a hostile environment for people like me. I`ve been working on my paper work to do that, but now that Iraq is fine( thanx for U.S troops ) I can choose whether to stay here with my friends and family, or to finish college and travel to join my brothers in arms again, but this time it`ll be on the land of freedom, and not on a battlefield.
I quit right after my second team went back home, I got back to college now, I learned alot from my american friends and so did they from me, we shared some good and bad times that I will never forget as long as I live. I hope I didn`t bother you with this story of mine, but the only reason why I wrote it to you so that you can know about those who where influenced, and had thier lives transformed by american soldiers, like myself. and tell a story of a TERP who you never met, and might never will.