My unit waited for our name to come up on the list.
Upon hearing that the 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY
had gotten their orders we knew, we were going to Iraq.
My unit is one of many unit’s that is assigned to help the
101st when they get deployed to the many parts of the world.
Upon hearing that the 101st was coming to Iraq, their were many mixed
emotions among my friends and fellow soldiers. Many of the soldiers were ready
to go fight for their country and put their life on the line to
defend what we’ve known all our life. "FREEDOM". As we prepared to leave
for Iraq, we watched as the war was unfolding in front of us on our TV screens.

My unit left for Iraq on April 4th, 2003 just four days before
the war would officially end. We sat and waited in Kuwait for our
chance to cross the berm in to this country very few of us knew anything
about. On April 20th, 2003. Easter Sunday, while many Americans were
still asleep, my unit crossed the berm into Iraq, to join in our part of
Operation Iraqi Freedom. We spent four days traveling through Iraq,
heading north towards the city of Mosul, Iraq. When we got to Mosul, we
were greeted by thousands of Iraqi’s eager to see an American soldier.
Many were shouting cheers of joy that we had arrived in their city.
My unit’s responsibility when we got to Mosul, was to clean up all the
weapon caches that the Iraqi army had set up around their city. In the
first month alone we picked up over 200,000 thousand rounds, making
Iraq and the surrounding area’s a much safer place for children to live,
farmers to farm, and family’s to just go outside again.

I am now currently assigned with the 101st Airborne Division on
what may be the most important job in Mosul at this moment. I am an
employee at the new VEO (Veterans Employment Office). Our job here is to
help the Iraqi’s who were formally of the Iraqi army get new jobs so they
can support their families. On an average we screen 60 – 90 people a
day for jobs and find them work. We place them in jobs ranging from
cleaning up the town, to protecting facilities that are around the Mosul
area. The people we are screening for jobs are being paid more now then
when they were in the Iraqi army. So we have many people coming everyday
trying to find jobs. We have been here working in this office for over
a month now, and we have found over 2000 Iraqi’s jobs in the Mosul
area. Our official grand opening is on Thursday, August 7th, 2003.

I am proud to be here in Iraq helping the people of Iraq and the
country to achieve Freedom. Though we are still being attacked on a
daily basis and soldiers are still dieing, I am very proud of the Iraqi’s
that I work with on a daily basis. Many Iraqi’s put their lives at risk
by coming to work for us, or coming to the U.S. for work. I know my
stay here in Iraq will be a long one. We are told we won’t be going home
to our family or friends until February or March of 2004. I know that
this is not going to be easy on any of the family or friends that I and
fellow soldiers have left behind. Many of us have left behind unborn
children, infants, wives, parents, and some of the soldiers haven’t
even seen their first child yet. It isn’t easy for any of us to deal with
this being away but we always remember what we are here for, "FREEDOM".
We hope that the people of America don’t forget about us, and that they
remember there are people over 7000 miles away from their loved one,
defending what they are taking for granted.

SPC CHRISTOPHER M ANSLEY
B BTRY 1-377 FAR (AASLT)
UNIT # 91411
APO, AE 09325-1411