getting shipped to iraq...?

Question

some people that enlist in the army hope to get sent to iraq and when they get there, a lot of the times they regret it.. i may be going this summer and at this moment im very excited..for the action and money. i would love to get anyones opinion who either served or has family or friends that served on what i would be up against

Answer 1

Don't fall for the "BoogeyMan" story just because they're throwing you a big old bone, Dog...there might be something in that bone too.....like Gulf War Syndrome II

You know, you are a prime example of why they go for the young when recruiting....too much energy and hormones....if you lose a leg or eyeball, or cause someone else to - or worse - it won't be worth it - because then that will be who you are...f*ck the money and the stupid war

You're wrong CURT - opposite reason of why you have to be 35+ to be president - then you got some wisdom...unlike when you are young, dumb, and full of c*m...that is all

Answer 2

I'll tell it to you straight... You want to see action, and you will... there is good money there, and yes you will get it. But:

1. The action is never "fun" or empowering
2. The food gets a little old... MREs basiclly suck
3. The mail takes forever
4. Phone calls are few and far between
5. Almost everyone gets sick... and I'm not talking about coughing
6. You will lose 30 lbs, less if you're lucky.

Now, lucky you, you are in the army... so there is a chance you can be place somewhere like my friend was where you had a private room, internet, and only went out on daily patorls. But it still sucks. If you stationed with the Marines, you're lucky if you get electricity, water, and a shower once a month. Unless you're a NCO/higher up no one gives a **** what you think, so you wont be making any calls about anything.

My advice? Be smart, stay safe, follow your gut, and just survive.

Answer 3

I served in Iraq twice, once in 2003 and once in 2005. It has its perks, but it'll will do a number on you emotionally, physically and mentally. That's okay, you can handle it, but there's nothing glamorous about the gig.

The best thing you can do is get your affairs in order. Also, take the time to spend with your family and friends. Take lots of pictures and save any letters or emails they give you. It gets lonely over there and folks who've never been there don't understand. But, remember that they love you no matter what. That'll get you through.

Start drinking lots of water. It gets so hot over there that you won't sweat. You can dehydrate in a heartbeat, especially if you're going in summer. You won't have time to climatize.

Take along a few things that remind you of who and what you love: pictures, a favorite pillow, CDs with upbeat music, books, a Bible. War is an amazing time to get in touch with your spiritual side. When you face the chance of dying at any minute, you really understand the beauty and fragility of life. Love God. Love your family. Love yourself. Take a journal too. You'll need a way to express all of the things your feeling and thinking. They may shock you, but it's all normal. It's all a part of the process. If something freaks you out, talk to someone you trust: your squad leader, a fellow troop, the chaplain, but whatever happens, don't write home about it. First, they don't understand and can't really help you, and second, it'll freak them out and you or they don't need that. It's okay to cry, laugh, and feel out of sorts. It's a parallel universe.

I don't regret joining, and I don't regret deploying. If anything, it made me a better person. I have a better idea of what really matters in this world. I appreciate little things more.

Good luck to you and God bless you. Always remember that thousands have people have been where you are going and have survived. You will too.

Answer 4

My brother is in the army. He spent almost all of 2005 in Iraq. He was like you in the beginning, excited for the action and the extra money. But the sad thing is when he finally came home, he was and is not the same person anymore. (I don't know if you listen to county music, but there is a song called "I just came back from a war" by Darryl Worley that really says it all.) He is angry, depressed and kind of lost in the world even though he is still in the army.

He doesn't talk much about the things that he saw when he was there, but from his job and the little he has told us, we are sure that he saw some nasty stuff. (He was on patrol in Baghdad and also involved in a lot of raids.) What you will see depends on what your job is. If you are in a support position you probably wont see much outside the base, but if you are in an infantry, tank, medic, etc. position you can expect to see plenty of really horrific stuff. Bombs make a mess of things. Think of what can happen to a person who is hit by a bomb. You could be the person scrapping all of that up. Or you could be forced to kill someone or transport a body. Even though you are indoctrinated that they are the enemy, there is no escaping the fact that they are people and they have families and jobs and kids and "normal" lives.

As for the money, he came home just as broke as when he left. I don't know if it really ended to be as much as he thought, but when he came back he was living paycheck to paycheck just like before. I still pray for the safe return of all our troops. May God bless you and keep you safe.

Answer 5

I have a brother who has been volunteering to be there for 3 years now...I have a step son that is infantry and doing patrols in Baghdad that is in his 3rd volunteered tour and I have a cousin that was just sent last week he will be clearing the path for the infantry ....all very brave just like you but also very scared. The only people I know that aren't scared feel as though they have no reason to live anyway....when you go stay sharp, don't try to be the hero and don't second guess your instincts or decisions. I wish you the best and thank you for protecting me and my children.

Answer 6

It depends on what you mean by a lot of people regret joining the military. If 2% regretted joining the army, that's still 8,000 people which is the size of my home town. The U.S death and wound rate in Iraq is overrated. The chance of a person dieing in Iraq in 2006 was half that of a person in Germany dieing in 2006 according to the on-line CIA fact book.

A person in the U.S. has a much greater chance of having an amputation due to diabetes or an accident than being attacked in Iraq.
http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/june05/baghdad_loss.html
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/IraqCoverage/story?id=517012&page=1
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20061009-1338-health-amputations.html

One of the biggest negatives is arthritis in the back and neck, that's common for anybody that carries a load on their back. You might lose some of your hearing too.

Answer 7

I know ALOT of soldiers that want to go. My husband is active duty army and he has been deployed 3 times in 4 years. He is in train up for his 2nd trip to Iraq. He loves the train up and loves to deploy because he is actually working, actually doing what he signed up to do. He tells me all the time that he isnt a garrison soldier...cant deal with the idle time and politics.

And it really depends on your MOS...commo guys and mechanics should be too worried because they are (for the most part) "FOBits"....they work on the FOBs. Yes, things happen on FOBs, but they are pretty safe. Then there are MOSes that travel the roads constantly and are in more danger. My husband is an 88M and runs missions daily while deployed. Infantry and combat MPs get out there busting doors in. Sorry not so familiar with other MOSes but bottom line is, it depends on your job as to how much danger you are actually in. Most soldiers I know, more danger the better. Theres that whole HOOAH factor.

I am proud of him and support him 110%. He gets daily letters, pics by email, chats on IM, weekly care packages with mission munchies, toys, etc. It really helps to have a good support system from home...that makes time pass. Good luck to you!!

Answer 8

To the person above: No they go for the young people because they are the most physcially fit and most likely don't have a career yet.

Some friends of mine just got back from Iraq. They saw some action but it was also boring at times, and of course its very hot and you will be busting your ***.

Answer 9

My brother is over there right now, and he spends all of his time in a base fixing helicopters. So he hasn't seen any action, and you probably wont unless you're in the infantry. Don't get so excited you do something stupid. Be smart, be safe, and best of luck!!! Thanks for serving this country!!!!

Answer 10

Well i have no personal experience but i am enlisting. Of coarse when i tell ppl this there first remark is in reference to Iraq now maybe cause i havent experienced anything yet but i surprise myself when i answer "I will be disappointed if they dont send me to Iraq" but ig uess we will find out soon enough how true that is.