Writer only wrote about bad

Some of my violent experiences here in Iraq were mentioned in Jennifer Easton’s article on Army ROTC (Aug. 30, A7), all of which are of course true. But I also wrote about bringing a small child to receive specialized medical care from American doctors and the unimaginable gratitude and joy of the father. I wrote her about the dozens of children I know by name in the villages I frequent, passing out candy and kicking soccer balls around with them. I wrote about our medic providing services in places where the people have no access to even basic medical care.

I have absolutely experienced a lot of violence, but to only point to that side of the experience gives an unbalanced view of what war is like out here. The experiences facing American soldiers in Iraq vary so much from street to street. That is why it is difficult to decide on a single “intense” experience. Service in war is challenging in ways you wouldn’t expect, and of course the danger and violence are a big part of the experience. But there are many other aspects that can make it incredibly fulfilling. The skills I learned at the hoya battalion have served me well out here and set me ahead of my peers every step of the way.

Second Lieutenant Audrey Quinby, Alumnus

Quotable

“In our city we are very lucky that we have a lot of wonderful wildlife. Just because you see wild animals in the city does not mean they are rabid, but you (still) shouldn’t handle them.”

-Peggy Keller, chief of the Bureau of Community Hygiene at the D.C. Department of Health