Stryker Brigade News

When Katie Colby is able to talk to her nephew, he shares stories about the beauty of the country and the extraordinary architecture of the churches and mosques.

"A couple of months ago, he wouldn't have talked about architecture," Katie Colby said. "I don't even know if he knew that word.

"I think it has given him a purpose in life," his aunt said. "He is not the kid who hangs around anymore. He gets up every morning and he has a job to do and he is proud of what he does." [...]

"He has done more in the last couple of months than most people do in a lifetime," she said. "To hear the difference from when he left for boot camp . . . I am talking to a man now."

Matthew Colby cannot share the details of his mission with his aunt, but he tells her all the positive things he has seen since he was deployed, such as children bringing the troops cans of soda as a thank you. The soldiers also have been adopting stray puppies and kittens that run wild in the city streets, Matthew Colby told his aunt.

He tells her about the rolling hills, the clear river that runs through Mosul and the beauty he found in the middle of a war zone. But some days he talks about how much he cannot wait to come home, Katie Colby said.

She checks the Internet almost daily to search for news and pictures of her nephew on the Army's 5th Infantry Regiment Web site. She also worries often. Her nephew recently was hospitalized after he suffered a concussion when his Stryker ran over an explosive device.

Katie Colby said she was grateful his injuries were not more severe.