thedrifter
06-20-08, 07:23 AM
Veteran shares his story at Dolan
By Jeff Morganteen
Staff Writer
Stamford Advocate
Article Launched:05/17/2008 01:00:00 AM EDT
STAMFORD - Army Staff Sgt. Nathanael Avridor, 28, a three-tour Iraq war veteran, has lived for nearly half of the past eight years in the desert, in fatigues, in Humvees or under siege.
Since serving in the 2003 invasion, the Stamford native and career solider has been in Iraq for almost four years. He was among the first conventional soldiers to enter Baghdad with the 3rd Infantry Division.
After rising to his current rank at age 24, he has issued orders to soldiers sometimes 10 years his senior. At Dolan Middle School yesterday, however, he had 28 eighth-grade students address him by rank. If they didn't, he jokingly threatened them with push-ups.
"I don't want you to think it's 24-7, war, war, war," he told the students, explaining that in their free time, soldiers e-mail families, play video games and form bands. He also explained his specialty, water treatment, and how important it is in a desert climate.
At one point, Avridor tried to demonstrate the most dire time of his service, a period in 2005 when he volunteered for security detail in Samarra, an insurgent stronghold northwest of Bagdad.
In front of the students, Avridor walked to the exact center of the classroom to explain that his base's position was in the middle of a hostile population.
It was the only time he regretted volunteering for an assignment, he said. But after rocket attacks, mortar strikes and suicide bombers, he emerged unscathed and with a Bronze Star. Then he went back for another tour.
"If you're not in the military, you won't understand why some people stay in," Avridor said. "With me, I had good times. Of course you had Iraq, but that's a learning experience."
His last tour of duty ended 25 days ago, but he wore a black blazer with white pinstripes yesterday, looking more like he had spent the last few months in fashion school rather than running security patrols in central Iraq.
While most students' inquiries were tame and innocent, some were left alone.
One student asked whether Avridor thought he was doing what was best for the United States by being in Iraq.
"Of course," Avridor said. "I wouldn't be in the military if I didn't."
Another asked whether Avridor thought the country should be in Iraq; he declined to answer.
Some asked about cutting-edge weapons he has used, while others wanted to know how many women soldiers were in Iraq. Avridor also explained differences between U.S. and Iraqi schools; In Iraq , books and pencils are prized possessions, he said.
Avridor's service has earned him admission in a program allowing him to become a recruiter, so he won't return to Iraq anytime soon.
When Avridor returns to Stamford, he stays with his brother on Maple Tree Avenue. His division operates out of Fort Jackson in South Carolina, where he will learn to be a recruiter for the U.S. Army.
The 1998 Westhill High School graduate said he joined the school's ROTC program when a recruiter approached his brother, Georges, with pitches about travel and special assignments.
He joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 18, then transferred to the Army in 2002, because he wanted to try something new, Avridor said. He also has attended several colleges during his time in the Marines and Army.
Avridor said he was an avid actor in high school, something he now needs to prove to his soldiers, he joked. The time spent in drama allowed him to act like a convincingly angry drill sergeant, he said.
His brother, now a Stamford-based freelance photographer, said he admired how his brother has used a career in the military to open new opportunities.
"As long as he likes it," said Georges, 32. "I've had friends who were soldiers that came back and haven't done anything with what they've learned."
During breaks between his tours, Avridor returned a few times to Westhill, to describe his experiences in Iraq, talks that force him to condense years of vivid memories into hourlong discussions.
"Words just can't describe a series of event that occurred in the last five years," Avridor said.
Driving to Dolan Middle School with his brother, Avridor discussed how losing friends became a frequent occurrence during three tours.
He first saw combat on a highway approaching Baghdad in the first wave of the 2003 invasion, when his unit was ambushed, and he received the Combat Action Badge.
"If every time I saw combat I got a badge, I'd probably have a duffle bag full of them," Avridor said.
Despite calls for a troop pullout, Avridor said he treats his service like a career.
"That's our role," he said. "If they tell us to pull out, we pull out. If they tell us to stay, we stay."
Ellie
By Jeff Morganteen
Staff Writer
Stamford Advocate
Article Launched:05/17/2008 01:00:00 AM EDT
STAMFORD - Army Staff Sgt. Nathanael Avridor, 28, a three-tour Iraq war veteran, has lived for nearly half of the past eight years in the desert, in fatigues, in Humvees or under siege.
Since serving in the 2003 invasion, the Stamford native and career solider has been in Iraq for almost four years. He was among the first conventional soldiers to enter Baghdad with the 3rd Infantry Division.
After rising to his current rank at age 24, he has issued orders to soldiers sometimes 10 years his senior. At Dolan Middle School yesterday, however, he had 28 eighth-grade students address him by rank. If they didn't, he jokingly threatened them with push-ups.
"I don't want you to think it's 24-7, war, war, war," he told the students, explaining that in their free time, soldiers e-mail families, play video games and form bands. He also explained his specialty, water treatment, and how important it is in a desert climate.
At one point, Avridor tried to demonstrate the most dire time of his service, a period in 2005 when he volunteered for security detail in Samarra, an insurgent stronghold northwest of Bagdad.
In front of the students, Avridor walked to the exact center of the classroom to explain that his base's position was in the middle of a hostile population.
It was the only time he regretted volunteering for an assignment, he said. But after rocket attacks, mortar strikes and suicide bombers, he emerged unscathed and with a Bronze Star. Then he went back for another tour.
"If you're not in the military, you won't understand why some people stay in," Avridor said. "With me, I had good times. Of course you had Iraq, but that's a learning experience."
His last tour of duty ended 25 days ago, but he wore a black blazer with white pinstripes yesterday, looking more like he had spent the last few months in fashion school rather than running security patrols in central Iraq.
While most students' inquiries were tame and innocent, some were left alone.
One student asked whether Avridor thought he was doing what was best for the United States by being in Iraq.
"Of course," Avridor said. "I wouldn't be in the military if I didn't."
Another asked whether Avridor thought the country should be in Iraq; he declined to answer.
Some asked about cutting-edge weapons he has used, while others wanted to know how many women soldiers were in Iraq. Avridor also explained differences between U.S. and Iraqi schools; In Iraq , books and pencils are prized possessions, he said.
Avridor's service has earned him admission in a program allowing him to become a recruiter, so he won't return to Iraq anytime soon.
When Avridor returns to Stamford, he stays with his brother on Maple Tree Avenue. His division operates out of Fort Jackson in South Carolina, where he will learn to be a recruiter for the U.S. Army.
The 1998 Westhill High School graduate said he joined the school's ROTC program when a recruiter approached his brother, Georges, with pitches about travel and special assignments.
He joined the U.S. Marine Corps at age 18, then transferred to the Army in 2002, because he wanted to try something new, Avridor said. He also has attended several colleges during his time in the Marines and Army.
Avridor said he was an avid actor in high school, something he now needs to prove to his soldiers, he joked. The time spent in drama allowed him to act like a convincingly angry drill sergeant, he said.
His brother, now a Stamford-based freelance photographer, said he admired how his brother has used a career in the military to open new opportunities.
"As long as he likes it," said Georges, 32. "I've had friends who were soldiers that came back and haven't done anything with what they've learned."
During breaks between his tours, Avridor returned a few times to Westhill, to describe his experiences in Iraq, talks that force him to condense years of vivid memories into hourlong discussions.
"Words just can't describe a series of event that occurred in the last five years," Avridor said.
Driving to Dolan Middle School with his brother, Avridor discussed how losing friends became a frequent occurrence during three tours.
He first saw combat on a highway approaching Baghdad in the first wave of the 2003 invasion, when his unit was ambushed, and he received the Combat Action Badge.
"If every time I saw combat I got a badge, I'd probably have a duffle bag full of them," Avridor said.
Despite calls for a troop pullout, Avridor said he treats his service like a career.
"That's our role," he said. "If they tell us to pull out, we pull out. If they tell us to stay, we stay."
Ellie