I was in the army from June 2001 till June 2005. I was in Afghanistan and Iraq as an Infantryman in the 82D Airborne. I started off as a pro-war person when I went to Afghanistan but that started to change when it was decided to start attacking Iraq. That is when I started putting the pieces together that there was more to this then good vs. bad guys. I went to Iraq even though I disagreed with the war there. My motivation was having my college paid for when I got out, so I needed an honorable discharge. Over in Iraq I got to see the people, talk with the ICDC, get an idea of what was going on there with a first hand knowledge. My time there was not spent helping people, I was there as a show of force pointing my weapon when people got to close, shooting when needed. I would look around and see what a mess Iraq was. My first thought was that these people lived liked animals. But the longer I was there the more I realized that it was our fault, we destroyed there infrastructure, and didn’t build it back up. We would go on missions looking for the enemy and talking to the locals, but the people just wanted there power turned back on and there plumbing to work. We did not bring these things, all we brought was bullets, bombs, and sorrow. While I was there I had my close calls, but I can not hate them. They were Iraqis on Iraqi land, while I was an American soldier from the other side of the world. The thought of bringing peace and freedom to a country with guns and soldiers expert in killing the enemy is an unfunny joke. But I was part of the machine and my eyes have been opened. This is why I am now part of the IVAW, so my story can be heard.