thedrifter
02-25-09, 07:21 AM
Soldier, Marine share Iraq war experiences with AWC students
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February 24, 2009 - 5:16 PM
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
An Army National Guard soldier and a former Marine shared their experiences and impressions of their time in Iraq on Tuesday with a classroom of students at Arizona Western College.
"It was really eye-opening," said AWC student Joseph Martinez. "It really made me appreciate what our troops do over there and that they have pride in what they are doing."
Sgt. First Class Adrian Groggett of the Army National Guard and Marine Cpl. Darrin Ruiz spoke to the students of political science professor Mohammad Bahramzadeh's class as part of a presentation titled "The War on Terror: Veteran's Perspective."
Groggett, who has spent nearly 20 years in the National Guard, returned from Iraq in 2007. He said there has been some tremendous strides made in the country since he was first deployed there in 2004.
"Iraq has progressed. They are taking more control of their country and running it for themselves," Groggett said. "And they're doing this for the first time in many, many years since being under a dictator."
Groggett added that as the Iraqi government takes on more responsibility, it allows the U.S. to decrease its presence there, which is what the goal was all along.
"The whole intent of Operation Iraqi Freedom was not to take over Iraq. We didn't want to make it a commonwealth, state or protectorate," Groggett said. "We wanted it to be a free Iraq. Our guys aren't over there looking for a place to move to."
Meeting that goal, however, didn't come without a price, Groggett added.
"You see a lot of people you have grown close to fall," Groggett said. "That is never easy, but we understand that. There is still a job to do, and we do it."
Groggett, an explosive ordnance expert, joined the National Guard in 1989. He served in Desert Storm in 1991 and has been deployed to Iraq twice, as well as to Panama in 1998 and 1999 and Bosnia in 2000.
"My initial motivation when I joined was that it was something to do," Groggett said. "But over time I realized I liked what I was doing and that it had developed into a passion. So I re-enlisted several times."
Ruiz, who is on inactive duty status and a student in the class, joined the Marines in 2004 and was stationed at MCAS Yuma for 5 years. He was deployed to Iraq for the first time in 2005 while his unit was on a tour of southeast Asia.
"The challenge of the Marine Corps is what got me," said Ruiz, who was a Harrier mechanic with VMA-211. "I figured if I could meet that I could meet the rest of life's challenges."
As he spoke about the day-to-day happenings of being deployed, Ruiz showed a slideshow of pictures he took during his first deployment to Iraq.
He also talked about things that he said he felt went unnoticed by the media.
"We were constantly improving the infrastructure there," Ruiz said. "Schools and hospitals were built, but that never got covered in the media."
When asked about the Iraqi people, Ruiz said he said at first he felt they were taking a wait-and-see attitude because they weren't sure whether the U.S. was there to conquer them or liberate them.
Groggett, who is with the 362 EOD unit based in Coolidge, and Ruiz, were also asked what their thoughts were on the statement that someone supports the troops, but not the war, and had similar answers.
"I don't understand it," Ruiz said. "No one joins the military wanting to go to war, but we know it can happen. When someone said they don't support the war it hurts moral."
Groggett answered by saying it was the same type of analogy as saying you support the police, but not what they do.
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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
Ellie
Comments | Recommend
February 24, 2009 - 5:16 PM
BY JAMES GILBERT, SUN STAFF WRITER
An Army National Guard soldier and a former Marine shared their experiences and impressions of their time in Iraq on Tuesday with a classroom of students at Arizona Western College.
"It was really eye-opening," said AWC student Joseph Martinez. "It really made me appreciate what our troops do over there and that they have pride in what they are doing."
Sgt. First Class Adrian Groggett of the Army National Guard and Marine Cpl. Darrin Ruiz spoke to the students of political science professor Mohammad Bahramzadeh's class as part of a presentation titled "The War on Terror: Veteran's Perspective."
Groggett, who has spent nearly 20 years in the National Guard, returned from Iraq in 2007. He said there has been some tremendous strides made in the country since he was first deployed there in 2004.
"Iraq has progressed. They are taking more control of their country and running it for themselves," Groggett said. "And they're doing this for the first time in many, many years since being under a dictator."
Groggett added that as the Iraqi government takes on more responsibility, it allows the U.S. to decrease its presence there, which is what the goal was all along.
"The whole intent of Operation Iraqi Freedom was not to take over Iraq. We didn't want to make it a commonwealth, state or protectorate," Groggett said. "We wanted it to be a free Iraq. Our guys aren't over there looking for a place to move to."
Meeting that goal, however, didn't come without a price, Groggett added.
"You see a lot of people you have grown close to fall," Groggett said. "That is never easy, but we understand that. There is still a job to do, and we do it."
Groggett, an explosive ordnance expert, joined the National Guard in 1989. He served in Desert Storm in 1991 and has been deployed to Iraq twice, as well as to Panama in 1998 and 1999 and Bosnia in 2000.
"My initial motivation when I joined was that it was something to do," Groggett said. "But over time I realized I liked what I was doing and that it had developed into a passion. So I re-enlisted several times."
Ruiz, who is on inactive duty status and a student in the class, joined the Marines in 2004 and was stationed at MCAS Yuma for 5 years. He was deployed to Iraq for the first time in 2005 while his unit was on a tour of southeast Asia.
"The challenge of the Marine Corps is what got me," said Ruiz, who was a Harrier mechanic with VMA-211. "I figured if I could meet that I could meet the rest of life's challenges."
As he spoke about the day-to-day happenings of being deployed, Ruiz showed a slideshow of pictures he took during his first deployment to Iraq.
He also talked about things that he said he felt went unnoticed by the media.
"We were constantly improving the infrastructure there," Ruiz said. "Schools and hospitals were built, but that never got covered in the media."
When asked about the Iraqi people, Ruiz said he said at first he felt they were taking a wait-and-see attitude because they weren't sure whether the U.S. was there to conquer them or liberate them.
Groggett, who is with the 362 EOD unit based in Coolidge, and Ruiz, were also asked what their thoughts were on the statement that someone supports the troops, but not the war, and had similar answers.
"I don't understand it," Ruiz said. "No one joins the military wanting to go to war, but we know it can happen. When someone said they don't support the war it hurts moral."
Groggett answered by saying it was the same type of analogy as saying you support the police, but not what they do.
---
James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
Ellie