Today, we have a blog post from Maj. Chris Auclair is the 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rdInfantry Division Fires and Effects coordinator who is currently serving in Baghdad, Iraq. This week Maj. Auclair and 3 1-3 AAB Soldiers conducted a video teleconference through Skype with over 40-50 students and teachers from a middle school in Atlanta, Ga. Read below an excerpt from Maj. Auclair’s blog post as he talks more about his interview:
Two weeks ago, three 1-3 AAB soldiers and I conducted a video teleconference with 40-50 seventh graders and roughly 10 teachers from a school in Atlanta, Ga. The only reference the students and teachers in this school, in most cases, had of our military was what they saw on television or through a grandfather, who served in Korea or Vietnam. We were really the first “line” soldiers these students had ever seen or met firsthand. This video teleconference was truly a rewarding experience, but it completely reinforced the concept DoDLive originally requested, which was to explain what it is like over here in Baghdad.
As our Public Affairs shop prepared the four of us for the class with the seventh graders, we rehearsed all the anticipated questions such as, “have you ever been shot?” Of course we were asked this question, as well as questions regarding how close combat was to the video game Medal of Honor, but these students surprised us with other questions that you’d expect to hear from an adult with some knowledge of why we are here in Iraq.
One student asked a question based on information he read in the newspaper about how American Marines and soldiers were involved in teaching Iraqis how to form a professional army and one that was capable of defending the Iraqi borders.
His question was: “Aren’t you afraid that the Iraqi army will turn their guns on you as you start reducing your forces down?” What a great and insightful question, as there are many who ponder those exact sentiments. This was a seventh grader asking this question!
To read Maj. Auclair’s response to the question above, check out the entire blog entry at http://bit.ly/drK42H.
If you had the opportunity like the seven grade students in Georgia did, what question would you ask a Soldier currently deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan? Share with us in the comments section.
