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Soldiers talk about life after Iraq

Mar- 2-2007 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

by Sean Doogan

Anchorage, Alaska - They spent 16 months in Iraq enduring a last minute four month extension, just days away from coming home.

Before these five soldiers walked into the room, the men, all from different companies, had a lot more in common than just being volunteered for this interview. All served in Iraq with the Stryker Brigade.

"The brigade needs these soldiers back to be the whole and very capable force that has been over the last year," said Major Gen. Charles Jacoby, commander, U.S. Army Alaska.

And all endured a four month extension to Baghdad just days away from coming home.

"It was a surprise. We thought we'd be going home within a week," said Capt. Robert Dapice.

Capt. Robert Dapice says while still in Mosul and after talking to his wife in Anchorage, he worked hard to find out what was happening in Baghdad.

"There's so many different groups of Iraqis, different tribal groups and religious groups of course and so some were very happy to see you, some are not as happy to see you and everywhere you go the kids are pretty much happy to see you," said Dapice.

These men have lost 36 of their fellow Strykers and others working directly with them, but in Iraq getting into a firefight wasn't the normal patrol day.

"I'd say we'd probably run into it, physically, probably once a month or so. But for the most part it would be just pot-shots or you just hear it off in the distance," said Sgt. Mitchell Cenkush, 4-23 Infantry, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

And the Strykers say while in Baghdad they worked more a community patrol than an invading army.

"You spend a lot more time trying to talk to people, get the feel of the people, get an idea of who you can trust than you do actual fighting in this stage of the war," said Staff Sgt. Seth Hearld, 4-23, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Home three months, the Strykers are reacquainting themselves with life in Alaska.[...]


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