Iraq War – Student, Citizen, Soldier

"As smart as I thought I was, my kids knew from day one there was something wrong."

"I figured the military would buy me some time to sort of figure out what I was doing."

"After awhile you just kinda don't care. What are the odds if they haven’t hit us yet?"

"I'm still going to be me but I'm going to do it the right way."

"I felt the duty to repay my dues to a country that accepted me as one of their own"

"Ultra-left or ultra-right is a very dangerous thing for this nation. The middle ground is the best way to go."

"You’re young like that you think you’re immortal. You really do."

"I've had four or five guys that I served with who committed suicide."

"The first thing my division officer asked me was when I was going to get pregnant."

"We love every Marine that we were there with, so we get emotionally attached to each other."

"I was there to take care of people. That’s ultimately why I really wanted to be there."

"I almost got killed a few times, almost. Close calls. Close calls."

"We have sweeps, bomb sniffing dogs, that kind of stuff."

"I just get it done, and I try to plan my time accordingly."

"I have a certain respect for the insurgents."

"They will be my friends for life. They’ll be my family for life."

"I used to be a real patient dude, but that's gone away."