Home from Iraq

The Nov. 11 issue of the Witness featured an article about a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer, *Robert Brick, who served with the U.S. Navy in Iraq and has written letters home the Witness has periodically published. He wrote this just before his return from Iraq. *Name changed for security reasons.

Dear Family & Friends,

It’s been nearly six months since I kissed Yashmin and little Isabella goodbye, and now it’s finally time to return home. I feel like I should write something insightful, descriptive or humorous, but there’s just no Hemingway-esque inspiration, or pundit-like opining in me at the moment.

After my first e-mail was full of “insight” and vivid descriptions, a good friend of mine—a former Ranger with several combat deployments under his belt—just thanked me and said he was going to keep a file of all my e-mails so I could read them at some point after returning. I now have an idea of what he foresaw: the more you see, the harder it is to offer simple solutions and pithy observations, and the longer you’re here, the more you just want to think of home.

It’s been a phenomenal opportunity to serve in Iraq. I’ve been fortunate to spend two months each at headquarters, Abu Ghraib, and with a special operations unit. Needless to say, I’ve learned from each experience.

Not everyone gets to play a small role in bringing freedom to people who have never known it, and few lawyers ever get the chance to establish the rule of law in the land where law originated. While there is so much work left to be done, the tremendous success of the January elections bears witness to the justness of our cause here. It also reminds us that people of conviction can stand up to forces of evil and change the course of history. I’ll always cherish the memories and feelings of pride when Iraqis, after hearing that my role was to help prosecute those fighting democracy, have grabbed my hand and said simply and with passion: “Thank you so much.”

Keep the men and women fighting the global war on terror in your prayers—they are truly the best America has to offer. Pray and look after their spouses and children back home—they are the heroes of each of us here.

God bless you,

Robert