First off, thanks for your service.  I'm always curious about how people in the military feel about the war at this point. 

 In other words, do you feel like it is time to get out now?  Or do we still have work to do there?

This is a tough one…..while I was in the military I was never into the whole politics side of things, but ever since I have been out I have become I politics and history fiend…..I just can't get enough of it……I would really hate for us to just pull out (that's what she said), but the way it has been handled up this point it seems like the only logical answer. I hate that Bush slowed things down. I'm a big believer in you go to war to win…..no other reason…..not nation building or any other reason except to win……you determine who you want to beat and then you beat them as bad as you can and you don't quit until you have done so. 

Our govt on the other hand seemed to take the more passive route and try to appease other countries and the UN and the general public……that was a costly mistake and now we are so far into it with the appeasement outlook that it looks like the logical decision is to just pull out because turning up the heat at this point would basically be starting the war all over in my opinion. Except that we are already occupying the area obv.

I really hate that that is the case because I lost some very close friends to Iraq and would love to be able to say that at least we accomplished what we were there to do, but instead I don;t feel like we won the war or that we have lost it…..but moreso that it is just kind of a draw……and losing lives sucks if you are not going to win you know…..or hell even if you lose at least you went all out and just didn't have enough to win. 

Did you see any of those huge ass camel spiders?  Because those things freak me the hell out.

OMG yes those things were insane…..and so hard to see in the sand too……def freaked me out everytime I put my shoes on.

I've heard alot about our soldiars over there playing alot of poker…did you take everyones money?  

Yea actually that was when I first started taking poker seriously…….we had an internet connection that worked kind of sparadically but I remember putting like $50 on partypoker and playing in my downtime……that is when I really started to realize that I really enjoyed the game…..funny story on the second deployment there was this kid who literally had no idea how to play hold em….didn't even know hand ranks, but he said he wanted to learn so he an I would play heads up sit and go style in our downtime for $1 each……after probably over 1000 matches we ended up with him owing me a little over $200 bucks……he really took to the game and realized that there was a huge skill edge if you knew what you were doing…..we were stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky and Harrahs Metropolis was maybe a 2 hour drive or so and we started going there to play. (really shitty poker room btw only 4 tables ha) but at the time it was the only “casino” either of us had ever been to. We both did fairly well in the games there and now 6-7 years later we are still close friends and he goes to college at the University of South Florida and plays to pay his bills at the casinos around tampa and is a successful player.

Are you dont now or do you have to go back again?

I'm done now…..I have been out since 2007 and will be off of inactive reserve (which is where they could technically reactivate me, but that is like a last ditch effort for troops before drafting) this Oct. I loved the work I did and the excitement…..really did not mind the deployments at all, but my wife and I were dating at the time and decided if we were going to get married and start a family that she would only do it if I were not in the military and in that line of duty. I thought that was pretty fair as it is a rough lifestyle for a family (tons of divorces and such) so she won and I got out and all is well.

Personally no problem with it. I think there will be some issues with it though…….I curious as to how it goes. There are obv going to be some people who react to openly guy men in a very negative way, but I don't think the whole bashing on gays incidents are going to any more than than they already are. I know in my unit there was a couple gay guys and everything went pretty ok and I was in a pretty testorone filled group of guys. So I think (hope) it will work ok.

As far as questions, any hot chicks over their?

Yea alot actually……not sure if your meaning locals or not though……not too much on the locals side but some……..most of them were military chicks or UN chick, reporters, chicks from other countries……they mostly held up in the green zone areas though and we didn't get there very often and when we did it would only be for a day or two……but they are def there……oh and from what I saw chicks couped up in a desert with nothing to do are EZ.

Any funny or crazy stories involving the locals?

Yea there was one of our informants who was just a really quircky personality and he had tons of intel on some of the high value targets we were after. He knew to call us at anytime when he knew where they would be and we would show up…..well if you remember the deck of 52 cards with the 52 top bad guys…..he caught one…..by himself…..he knocked on the door of our house and we answred the door and he was freaking out……thought maybe we were gonna go get to do something so we woke up our intrepreter to translate……..they talk for like 15 minutes and we are all like wtf is going on our intrepretr is dying laughing and tells us that the guy has one of the guys that was on the cards tied up and gagged in the trunk of his car…….and wait for it…………but wants to know if he can use our showers because he has shit all over himself while driving to us……I couldn't believe it…..the guy was literally scared shitless

Best moments in country?

Just any down time we had…..believe it or not we partied pretty hard over there whenever we had the chance…..and just being with those guys during those times was great

Not asking the worst moments..I can already imagine.