My Interview with an American Soldier

I have had the opportunity to interview one of the greatest (current) American Soldiers I know. He is completely dedicated to God, his family and friends, and his country. Here are his answers to some questions I had for him.

Question: Name? (For security reasons he asked that his entire name not be used.)

Answer: James

Question: Where are you from?

Answer: Georgia, currently living in SC

Question: How old are you?

Answer: 41

Question: What branch of the service are you in?

Answer: US Army

Question: What is your rank?

Answer: Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)

Question: How long have you been in the service?

Answer: 24 years

Question: Where are you based?

Answer: South Carolina

Question: What is your job in the service?

Answer: Commander of a special response task force

Question: Have you been to Iraq and how many times?

Answer: Yes, as a civilian working for the US government

Question: What was that like?

Answer: Very busy time for my team and me. On the environment, we were there during periods of high heat and high humidity.

Question: Do you think you will have to go back to Iraq anytime soon?

Answer: No.

Question: What is your opinion of this war?

Answer: Overall, with the Global War on Terrorism, it was/is essential in order to take the war to the adversaries'/enemies' turf, in order to prevent catastrophic collateral damage on U.S. soil, while simultaneously focusing the radical Jihadists efforts on the "near Jihad" (i.e., their homeland and area of interest) instead of the "far Jihad" (i.e., more distant areas of interest like the U.S. and our allies).

Question: How do you think this war is going to end and when?

Answer: The war will end when the protagonists, Iran and Syria (with Russian backing) threats are neutralized. There are multiple courses of action associated with the neutralization of the aforementioned threats. Concerning the question of when; I cannot answer that question with accuracy.

Question: What do you think it will take to end this war?

Answer: Ultimately, the dissolution of the Russo-Iranian threat and the advent and proliferation of prosperity for both Israel and the Palestinians.

Question: What kind of advice would you give to a soldier going to Iraq for the first time?

Answer: Remain committed to the most important of your relationships; God, family, friends, country. Trust your colleagues, as they will quickly become your family away from home. And, please understand that no matter what you see and experience, life is arbitrary; but, God is NOT arbitrary. There is evil in this world; which by definition is the absence of God.

Question: What kind of advice do you have for someone who is thinking of joining the service?

Answer: It would be an honor for me and my colleagues to serve beside you. Refer to the previous question's answer.

Question: Have you ever met President Obama? If you have, what was he like in person?

Answer: No. However, I have met President Bush; a great man, with a great heart, who had a nearly impossible job made more difficult by the failings and influence of his father's and Clinton's appointees, especially within the Treasury Department.

And now for the question that everyone would be asking...Who did you vote for on American Idol? I just had to throw that one in for a little fun. We can not be serious all of the time. Life is too short!

Actually, I've never watched American Idol; and, I've never had a desire to do so. I don't have much free time, so what TV I do watch is typically more educational (e.g., Discovery and History Channels) with some sports...and, a lot of news as background visuals and audio in my offices. However, I am happy to hear the the more "wholesome" entertainer won this last American Idol competition.