European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 182007 stars and stripes pages four years in Iraq the first tour private Young americans still feeling a Call to duty Byzek Minaya h stars and stripes Kirkuk Iraq when the first president named George Bush sent troops to Iraq in 1991 pfc Ryan to was a toddler ten years later to was on the Cusp of his teen years As a 12yearold when planes struck the world Trade Center in new York City on sept 11 2001 to was informed about the terrorist attacks while in a world history class he remembered a year later with the War in Afghanistan As retaliation for the at tacks the second president George Bush stood in front of the in general Assembly and spoke of the grave and gathering danger in Iraq by March 2003 the War had begun to is part of a Young Genera Tion of americans who have grown up in the Shadow of hostilities Between the United states and Iraq the defining moments of us history in the last 20 years have been part of their formative childhood memories i remember that there was this Guy named Saddam to said of his younger years i knew George w Bush was talking about finding weapons of mass destruction and talking about going to War my Stepmom and dad liked to talk about what was Hap pening i would listen to what they were saying to who turned 18 two months ago and others in his generation Are just now reaching adulthood and though the difficulties and doubts revolving around the conflict emerged while they were still in High school some have Cho sen to take part i knew we were in a time of War i knew its not going to be easy said the Hawaii native but i want to help people and in willing to make the sacrifice like some to drifted in High school not finding direction until he entered a military school in 2005 for a risk students the National guard youth Challenge program gave to the direction he needed to said while there he was drawn to the stories of the noncommissioned officers who taught at the school they were Good people to remembered a few had been in the Vietnam War a few in Afghanistan they said that you dont re ally get any closer to people than to the other Guys in your platoon to had relatives who fought in world War i and world War ii but his decision to join the Mili tary was still not easy he said i was worried i was scared he recalled my dad was also worried but he tried to hide it my mom was freaking out hos reasons for sticking to his decision were simple its risky but it has to be done and in Here because i choose to be and because someone needs to step up and do something he said he has been at Forward operating base Warrior for a Little More than a month As part of the 2nd battalion 35th infantry regi ment i thought it would be a lot Zeke and stripes pfc Ryan to of Hawaii stands on the Hood of a humvee at Forward operating base Warrior in Northern Iraq on March 13 to is part of the 2nd battalion 35th infantry regiment and on his first tour in Iraq More crazy Here its a lot More under control than i thought he said in his Short time his unit has run across a couple of Roadside bombs and been under fire by a sniper but he has no regrets he said i made the right decisions i know some people say that join ing the military at this time would be crazy and that this War is stupid but i know that in doing something that will have a positive influence on people to said i knew we were in a time of War i knew its not going to be easy but i want to help people and in willing to make pfc Ryan to 2nd battalion 35th infantry regiment Forward operating base Warrior Iraq email Zeke Minaya at nations pledging troops to Iraq in March 2003 Afghanistan Albania Australia Azerbaijan Colombia czech Republic Denmark Al Salvador Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Georgia Hungary Iceland Italy Japan pos conflict Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Netherlands Nicaragua Philippines Poland Romania Slovakia South Korea Spain Turkey United kingdom Uzbekistan source a noncom nations with forces in Iraq apart from us As of feb 28 2007 Albania Armenia Australia Azerbaijan Bosnia Herzegovina Bulgaria czech Republic Denmark Al Salvador Estonia Georgia Japan Kazakhstan Latvia Lithuania Macedonia Moldova Mongolia Poland Romania Singapore Slovakia South Korea Ukraine United kingdom source state department about 14000 forces humanitarian rations packages handed out 2 million iraqis who voted in the october 2005 constitutional referendum 98 million percentage who voted to adopt the Constitution 79 iraqis who voted in the december 2005 legislative elections 124 million iraqi army divisions created and trained 8 planned reconstruction projects 4135 completed reconstruction projects 3128 construction Cost of those projects billion water projects completed 530 primary healthcare centers planned 161 primary healthcare centers completed 31 primary healthcare centers impacted by insurgent attacks 9 schools built or renovated 962 students in those schools More than 500000 sources department of defense stars and stripes the associated press casualties org others