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With war behind them, Soldiers reflect on a year in Iraq

Army News Service

Release Date: 3/25/2004

By Staff Sgt. Stephen Hudson

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Army News Service, March 25, 2004) -- They're back now. The Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard's three infantry battalions are home and the sands of a Southwest Asia desert are rapidly becoming a distant memory.

They returned home wearing smiles and faded desert camouflage fatigues. After a year of combat foot patrols in Iraq these Soldiers, now home, have an opportunity to reflect on a year in Iraq.

These citizen-Soldiers became part of the largest call-up of the Florida National Guard since World War II, when members of the 124th Infantry Regiment fought in such places as New Guinea and Italy.

Their trip started the day after Christmas in 2002 as the battalions received their alerts. From Florida the Soldiers headed to Fort Stewart, then to Southwest Asia protecting Patriot missile batteries and were part of the first ground troops into Iraq.

Spc. Derick Robinson, 21, a student at Tallahassee Community College, was a week away from starting the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy when his unit was called to active duty.

Robinson, whose grandfather served in Europe during World War II, said they now share common experiences: one a draftee, the other a volunteer, they both helped liberate countries from oppressive and brutal dictators.

Robinson said the United States needs to be in Iraq and liberating the Iraqi people was the right thing to do.

"At first the Iraqis were afraid of us," said Robinson. "After they realized we were there to liberate them -- they warmed up to us. They were a big part of our success."

Robinson said he is proud he never fired his weapon although he was shot at several times.

Spc. Jarett Frazier, a business major at Florida State University, echoed Robinson's sentiments of the war: "I have no doubt we should have been there," he said.

After the war ended these Soldiers spent countless hours patrolling Baghdad's streets, working with locals citizens to capture weapons caches and arrest Saddam loyalists who were holdouts from the fallen regime.

1st Lt. Scott Slaughter, 38, who has been deployed twice with different Florida National Guard units since Sept. 11, 2001, served with the Guard's 1st Battalion in Ar Ramadi and realized early on the importance of the Coalition in Iraq.

"What the war in Iraq has done has taken away a mechanism weapons of mass destruction could be used against our allies, or us," Slaughter said. "In my opinion it was only a matter of time before those weapons found their way into the hands of terrorists."

In addition to their military duties, the Florida Soldiers helped renovate a soccer stadium and gave soccer balls to Iraqi kids. They even gave out Christmas gifts to children. The Florida National Guard was at the frontlines of rebuilding schools, restoring electrical power and training a new Iraqi police force.

The Florida Soldiers also earned numerous awards including Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medals, and the Bronze Star.

Three Florida Guardsmen lost their lives in Iraq, Cpl. Travis Rivero, Spc. Jeffrey Wershow and Spc. Robert A. Wise were killed while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

(Editor's note: Staff Sgt. Stephen Hudson writes for the Florida National Guard Public Affairs Office.)