The news first hit me that we, as a country, had entered the Iraq War while I sat in my history class during my junior year of high school. A skinny, tall kid came into the room singing the chorus line for the song “Bombs over Baghdad.” This was my first introduction to the war, but my impression of it quickly changed as reports of attacks and casualties filled the news.
In the following days we had several discussions at school about Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. I already knew then that I would be eventually joining the Marine Corps but didn’t look critically at the war or bother to analyze my feelings toward it.
I finally enlisted in January of 2005 almost two full years after the war had started. At that point the weapons of mass destruction were still nowhere to be found in Iraq. Soon I was progressing through recruit training in Parris Island, S.C., at times mindlessly and at times with extreme intensity. I ultimately became a public affairs specialist and wrote for my base publication in Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, later heading to San Diego to write for the Camp Pendleton Scout.
I didn’t find myself in Iraq until 2008, as a 21-year-old tasked primarily to search females. At this time violence in the country was minimizing relative to what it had been just a few years before. Most of my time was spent traveling around the southwestern part of Al-Anbar province.
That time seems grainy in my mind, as the names of the units and towns all become meshed in my memory, becoming one arid, struggling scene. A few things stand out: the notorious sand storms and how much I bonded with the few people I regularly worked with.
I will never make better, more loyal and forgiving friends than I did in the Marine Corps but am glad to have moved on from it. However, I gravitate toward other veterans when I have the chance. I also ended up joining the Air Force as a reservist last year. At Cal, I became an active member of the campus veteran group after feeling detached from my peers in my regular forestry classes. For several months, I was not sure I had a place in Berkeley, even after completing three semesters here.
Becoming active in the Cal Veterans Group and answering calls at a Vet Center, where I do reception work, are humbling experiences for me. When I listen to some of the stories of other veterans, I am impressed with their achievements — particularly with some of the Cal Vets, who saw unique hardships during their time spent overseas, yet all have high aspirations for their futures.
My personal feelings about my role in the Iraq War change every time I think about it. When I read news reports about Iraq, I often think of the Iraqi friends I made and who hopefully remain safe. Although most service members have left, violence is still prevalent in that country. These things remind me that I am truly blessed to be at UC Berkeley and to have the support of my fellow veterans.
Cindy Alejandrez is the public affairs Officer for the Cal Veterans Group.
Contact the opinion desk at [email protected].