I worked as a print "journalist" while I was in Baghdad, 2004, with the 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment attached to the 1st Cavalry Division. I was recruited into the Washington Army National Guard by my high school photography teacher during my junior year. I did the "split option" basic at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and was the fourth youngest trainee in my company.

Unwisely, I had believed my recruiter when he said that although I was being assigned to the 303rd Armor Division as a 91W (medic; the MOS I tested into on the ASVAB), I could always transfer to the 122nd MPAD later. Long story short, the only way I could transfer was to go to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and work as the 122nd MPAD filing clerk. So I wanted to be a journalist, should have been a medic, and ended up being a filing clerk.

But when the 122nd was deployed to Iraq, they needed one more journalist (hell, they needed a lot more than that, but...). So in the end, after working as a filing clerk (writing memos, running errands, etc.) for about three weeks in early 2004, I was assigned to cover 3rd Brigade, 1st Cav, in the Green Zone. They were the brigade that handled security for downtown Baghdad and tried to keep the Mehdi Army from mortaring the GZ.

After several months with 3rd Brigade, I relieved two 122nd soldiers who were assigned to 1st Brigade in Sadr City and eastern Baghdad, right as Operation Iron Fury was coming to a close. I moved between FOBs Cuervo, Iron Horse, and War Eagle, before finding a home on War Eagle until the 122nd was redeployed in January 2005.

Since returning, I've worked a few jobs and recently gotten back into school through a veterans program called Veterans Conservation Corps. I'm planning on pursuing a BFA in photography at the University of Washington Autumn of next year.

If you'd like to check out my photography, go to:
jan.critchfield.googlepages.com/home