Troops To Obama: Glad To Be Back From Iraq
Sgt. Josie Peters sits in her apartment in Texas, off post - Sgt. Josie Peters of the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division sits in her apartment near Fort Bliss. Peters came back from her second trip to Iraq as a medic in March. She now plans to settle into a house with her husband. (John Burnett / NPR)
President Obama visits Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday to mark the formal end of combat operations in Iraq, after seven years and 165 days of fighting. The president will meet with some of the 25,000 troops of the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division -- the famed "Old Ironsides" -- about half of whom wear combat patches from Iraq.
The troops at Fort Bliss also have something to say: When asked what they would like to share with Obama, their answers ranged from gratitude to be home, to eagerness to be back in the action.
'Thank You,' Mr. President
(John Burnett / NPR)
If he had a few words with the commander in chief, what would Maj. Elliott Rogers say?
"I guess the first thing that pops in my mind is to say, 'Thank you.' "
Rogers is grateful that he will not lose any more soldiers -- 51 from Fort Bliss have died in Iraq.
The 37-year-old rear detachment commander from Raleigh, N.C., is also thankful -- after repeated trips to Iraq -- that he is at home in El Paso now that his 13-year-old daughter, Erin, has started high school.
"The fact that when she has an issue or concern in high school, I don't have to address those via Skype or, you know, freakin' webcam. I can actually put my arm around her and actually talk to her in person," Rogers says. "That means a lot."
He spent his last deployment in Iraq training his counterparts in the Iraqi army's 12th Division to take over the defense of their country, with the U.S. Army in a supporting role.
He supports the Aug. 31 deadline to end the combat mission. Though there are still lots of hostile combatants, Rogers says, it's time to turn it over to the Iraqis.
"If we wanted to, I guess we could stay there forever and continue to fight foreign fighters. But is the Iraqi army ready? I think yes. Willing? I guess [that's] yet to be determined."
Eager To Redeploy
Charles Hawkins, a 28-year-old staff sergeant from Vienna, Ohio, has no family and no commitments stateside. He doesn't particularly look forward to life on the sprawling desert army post in West Texas.
If he has the opportunity to give the president a message?
"Just: When will you let me go to Afghanistan next? I want to go there next, so when is my next deployment?"
Hawkins has had five deployments to Iraq; the most recent was cut short, and he returned to Fort Bliss three weeks ago as the U.S. troop commitment was downsized. He won't miss it.
"[I've seen] pretty much all I want to see of Iraq. Time to go see a new landscape," he says.
In his last deployment, Hawkins and his squad in Alpha Company 136 helped train Iraqi soldiers to run highway checkpoints.
And while 60 percent of the respondents in a recent USA Today poll said the Iraq war was not worth it and the U.S. is not any safer, soldiers at Fort Bliss disagree.
Hawkins says he believes the United States has won the Iraq war.
"We went over there for weapons of mass destruction and really didn't really find any, but we won by helping out a country that was in need. They needed our help, and we went over and helped them and did our best. And got them to where they ... are stable now and can help themselves," Hawkins says.
Settling In At Home
With no plans for the 1st Armored Division to redeploy to Iraq, the returning soldiers can begin to make their own plans.
Sgt. Josie Peters plans to buy a house with her husband -- no more apartments. She has been to Iraq twice as a medic. She came back in March.
Iraq veterans have had enough of sandstorms, camel spiders and body armor in 120-degree heat.
"Southern Iraq was terrible. The wind blew, and it was so hot it felt like somebody was standing and blowing like a hot blow dryer in your face," Peters says.
What would she tell the commander in chief today if he stops to shake her hand?
"His wife is always very fashionable. I like her style."
9(MDAyNzUwMDI2MDEyNTA3MTU5NzcyNTQyNA004))
- White House Press Secretary Previews President 's Speech
- Iraq Wary Of Violence As U.S. Combat Mission Ends
- Renewed Attacks Raise Fears Of Iraqi Insurgents
- Combat Brigades Still In Iraq, Just Renamed
- Last U.S. Army 'Combat' Brigade Leaves Iraq, Ahead of President Obama's Deadline
- Now That U.S. 'Combat' Troops Have Left Iraq, Is Combat There Really Over?
- More than 1 million U.S. military personnel have served in Iraq since the war began in 2003.
- 50,000 American (non-combat) service men and women remain in Iraq.
- The White House says it will stick to its agreement to have all U.S. forces out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
And I'm Renee Montagne.
Today, President Obama greets American troops returned from Iraq. He's visiting Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, home of the Army's First Armored Division.
INSKEEP: It's a safe prediction that nobody will unfurl a Mission Accomplished banner, like the one that hung behind President Bush in 2003. More than seven years of war have passed since that ceremony.
MONTAGNE: And today, President Obama marks a more ambiguous milestone. It's the formal end of U.S. combat operations.
The president addresses the nation tonight, and in a moment, we'll question his spokesman Robert Gibbs.
We begin with NPR's John Burnett.
JOHN BURNETT: If he had a few words with the commander-in-chief today, Major Elliott Rogers would tell him this.
Major ELLIOTT ROGERS (Rear Detachment Commander, First Armored Division): I guess the first thing that pops in my mind is to say thank you.
BURNETT: Thank you that he will not lose any more soldiers. Fifty-one from Ft. Bliss have died in Iraq. The 37-year-old rear detachment commander from Raleigh, North Carolina, is also thankful - after repeated trips to Iraq - that he is at home in El Paso, now that his 13-year-old daughter, Erin, has started high school.
Maj. ROGERS: The fact that when she has an issue or concern in high school, I don't have to address those via Skype or, you know, freaking Web cam. I can actually put my arm around her and actually talk to her in person. So that means a lot.
BURNETT: Rogers spent his last deployment in Iraq training his counterparts in the 12th Iraqi Army Division, to take over the defense of their country, with the U.S. Army in a supporting role. He agrees with the August 31st deadline to end the combat mission. Though there are still lots of hostile combatants, Major Rogers says it's time to turn it over to the Iraqis.
Maj. ROGERS: You know, if we wanted to I guess we could stay there forever and continue to fight foreign fighters. But is the Iraqi army ready? I think, yes. Willing? I guess has to be determined.
BURNETT: Charles Hawkins, a 28-year-old staff sergeant from Vienna, Ohio, has no family and no stateside commitments. He doesn't particularly look forward to life on the sprawling desert Army post in West Texas.
If he has the opportunity to give the president a message.
Staff Sergeant CHARLES HAWKINS: Just when it's time to go to Afghanistan next. I want to go there next, so when is my next deployment?
BURNETT: Sergeant Hawkins has had five deployments to Iraq; the most recent was cut short and he returned to Fort Bliss three weeks ago, as the U.S. troop commitment was downsized. He says he won't miss it.
Sgt. HAWKINS: Pretty much all I want to see of Iraq, time to go see a new landscape.
BURNETT: In his last deployment, Hawkins and his squad in Alpha Company 1-3-6 helped train Iraqi soldiers to run highway checkpoints. In a recent USA Today poll, 60 percent of the respondents said the Iraq War was not worth it and the U.S. is not any safer. The soldiers interviewed at Fort Bliss disagree.
Has the United States won the Iraq War?
Sgt. HAWKINS: I'd say yes. We went over there for weapons of mass destruction and really didn't really find any. But we helped out a country that was in need. They needed our help and we went over and helped them and did our best. And got them to where they have - are stable now, and can help themselves.
BURNETT: With no plans for the First Armored to re-deploy to Iraq, the returning soldiers can begin to make plans.
Sergeant Josie Peters wants to buy a house with her husband - no more apartments. The 23-year-old Arkansas native has been to Iraq twice as a medic. She came back in March. Iraq veterans have had enough of sandstorms, camel spiders, and body armor in 120-degree heat.
Sergeant JOSIE PETERS: Southern Iraq was terrible. Like the wind blew and it was so hot, it felt like somebody just was standing and blowing like a hot blow dryer in your face.
BURNETT: Oh, and what would she tell the commander-in-chief today, if he stops to shake her hand.
Sgt. PETERS: His wife is always very fashionable. I like her style.
(Soundbite of laughter)
BURNETT: John Burnett, NPR News, El Paso. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.
