thedrifter
06-19-07, 05:42 AM
Former cheerleader set for third tour in Iraq
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
TOM GORDON
News staff writer
Jennifer Holt will be heading to Iraq later this year, and the Alabama-born Marine says she is a little worried because she has made it safely through two previous tours.
"The more deployments you go on, the more concerned you are with returning home," said the former Clay-Chalkville High cheerleader, who returned from her second tour in Al Anbar Province in March.
At the time, though she was relieved to be home, the 26-year-old corporal was already preparing mentally for one more Iraq tour before her enlistment ends in December 2008.
"It's difficult, you know, but I kinda feel like I know what's going on over there," Holt said in an interview from Camp Pendleton, Calif., where she is a member of the 7th Engineer Support Battalion's Alpha Company. During her last tour, she was a combat engineer with a combat logistics battalion that did construction and some road repair around Fallujah.
"I'd rather go over there experienced and knowing what to expect than have somebody inexperienced go over there and then wind up getting killed because they don't know what to do, how to react, and ... what to expect," Holt added.
"I've been over there; I know that I'm capable of dealing with it, so you know, I'm OK with going."
Holt said three Iraq tours, each of which usually lasts about seven months, is "pretty normal" during a four-year enlistment for Marines in her unit.
But Holt also has heard the talk that multiple deployments to Iraq are damaging the Marine Corps. It is an issue for some in the ranks because of the number of Marines who have yet to go to Iraq.
"There are so many of them," Holt said. "But right now, the Marine Corps is working on getting all those Marines that haven't had a tour yet and have been in for a long enough time to go; they're really working on a program to get those Marines over there."
If that plan comes to pass, many Marines who have done two or three Iraq tours would stay in the U.S. while the first-timers take their place.
"I don't feel that the many deployments are damaging the corps, because when you become a Marine, you are prepared for many trips to war," Holt said. "That is what the Marines Corps is for. We are trained for war every day of our Marine Corps life. But it will put ease on some of the Marines to have the others go."
Since U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, Marines have done most of their tours in the majority Sunni Anbar Province, where a coalition of local leaders recently has been backing the efforts of Iraqi and U.S. forces against al-Qaida.
During her last tour in Anbar, Holt, who has learned to communicate in Arabic, was also part of what the Marines called an FST, or female search team. When Marines searched a home where there were women present, Holt or another female Marine would search the women. It was meant to show respect for Iraqi culture.
By the time she left for the United States, Holt had searched thousands of women, and she said she would be willing to do it again.
"If I'm given the opportunity, of course, you know, I'll definitely do that," Holt said. "And I'm always open to training new females that come in on all the stuff that I know and do and how things work over there as far as searching."
While growing up in Alabama, Holt acquired the nickname "Bulldog." She doesn't remember how she got it, but Bulldog has become her nickname as a Marine.
"I'm kind of small but packed with a lot of punch," she said.
E-mail: tgordon@bhamnews.com
Ellie
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
TOM GORDON
News staff writer
Jennifer Holt will be heading to Iraq later this year, and the Alabama-born Marine says she is a little worried because she has made it safely through two previous tours.
"The more deployments you go on, the more concerned you are with returning home," said the former Clay-Chalkville High cheerleader, who returned from her second tour in Al Anbar Province in March.
At the time, though she was relieved to be home, the 26-year-old corporal was already preparing mentally for one more Iraq tour before her enlistment ends in December 2008.
"It's difficult, you know, but I kinda feel like I know what's going on over there," Holt said in an interview from Camp Pendleton, Calif., where she is a member of the 7th Engineer Support Battalion's Alpha Company. During her last tour, she was a combat engineer with a combat logistics battalion that did construction and some road repair around Fallujah.
"I'd rather go over there experienced and knowing what to expect than have somebody inexperienced go over there and then wind up getting killed because they don't know what to do, how to react, and ... what to expect," Holt added.
"I've been over there; I know that I'm capable of dealing with it, so you know, I'm OK with going."
Holt said three Iraq tours, each of which usually lasts about seven months, is "pretty normal" during a four-year enlistment for Marines in her unit.
But Holt also has heard the talk that multiple deployments to Iraq are damaging the Marine Corps. It is an issue for some in the ranks because of the number of Marines who have yet to go to Iraq.
"There are so many of them," Holt said. "But right now, the Marine Corps is working on getting all those Marines that haven't had a tour yet and have been in for a long enough time to go; they're really working on a program to get those Marines over there."
If that plan comes to pass, many Marines who have done two or three Iraq tours would stay in the U.S. while the first-timers take their place.
"I don't feel that the many deployments are damaging the corps, because when you become a Marine, you are prepared for many trips to war," Holt said. "That is what the Marines Corps is for. We are trained for war every day of our Marine Corps life. But it will put ease on some of the Marines to have the others go."
Since U.S.-led forces toppled Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, Marines have done most of their tours in the majority Sunni Anbar Province, where a coalition of local leaders recently has been backing the efforts of Iraqi and U.S. forces against al-Qaida.
During her last tour in Anbar, Holt, who has learned to communicate in Arabic, was also part of what the Marines called an FST, or female search team. When Marines searched a home where there were women present, Holt or another female Marine would search the women. It was meant to show respect for Iraqi culture.
By the time she left for the United States, Holt had searched thousands of women, and she said she would be willing to do it again.
"If I'm given the opportunity, of course, you know, I'll definitely do that," Holt said. "And I'm always open to training new females that come in on all the stuff that I know and do and how things work over there as far as searching."
While growing up in Alabama, Holt acquired the nickname "Bulldog." She doesn't remember how she got it, but Bulldog has become her nickname as a Marine.
"I'm kind of small but packed with a lot of punch," she said.
E-mail: tgordon@bhamnews.com
Ellie