European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pages stars and stripes sunday March 18 2007 four years in Iraq photo by Sandra and stripes photo illustration by Siegfried and stripes by Sandra Jontz stars and stripes Camp Tara drum Iraq capt Zeb Philpott has spent the past four years of his six year Marine corps career fighting in Iraq the nation plagued by a War now entering its fifth year is As Good As Home to him Hes witnessed change Here from a country whose people once greeted us troops As Rock stars he said to one ravaged by sectarian violence and an insurgency that has befuddled the most experienced of War commanders for this fourth tour Philpott serves As the anti terror officer for the 2nd Marine logistics group headquartered at this outpost in Western Anbar province and Hes prepared to come Back for even More deployments but he awaits the Day when he can travel to Iraq a coun try he has grown to love and Admire with a passport and visa instead of military combat orders id love to come Back and visit he said in a recent interview this country is absolutely Beautiful its Beauty is Stark raw it has a raw Beauty about it one Day he says Philpott 30 was part of the initial push into Iraq in March 2003 he served As a platoon commander with the 2nd Light armoured reconnaissance battalion and crossed the berm from Kuwait into Iraq As part of task Force Tri poli in the wars Early hours his unit pushed from Kuwait through Nasir Yah Kut and up and around to Cikrit i had 28 marines up in Iraq in an unknown combat environment there was excitement and anticipation there said Philpott from Missoula Mont the platoon encountered less resistance than anticipated from both Iraq army and the local population in 2003 we came in to towns and villages and people were real emotional real appreciative Philpott said in some places we went through we were like Rock stars maybe it was time or War or death or poverty or unemployment or rage or exasperation or a combination that warped the Welcome Wagon sentiment he noticed the Stark difference Between his 2004 and 2005 deployments there Are times there Are places where the people just stare at you at first i was really taken Aback kids in some places dont come running out to us there not engaged that was surprising he said some memories resonate More than others like an elderly Man who exited the voting polls in Fallu Jah in december of 2005 he came out inky fingers came out and hugs one of my sergeants he recalled it was so unexpected hed said in his entire life this was the first time he Felt part of the country now Ive left my Mark on this country Philpott repeated the mans words that was such an emotional time i Felt like we were part of a watershed event part of a bigger picture some memories Arent so Blissful he Doest talk about those lets say that working with the marines that i do the discipline and experience of the Good marines Here makes those moments fade a bit some of his experiences he can laugh that Hes on a base with Access to a Good dining facility gyms car Dio classes martial arts lessons an internet cafe phone Bank All the comforts of Home albeit set up in tents and plywood shacks there was a Point just after the push into Iraq in 2003 in which he and his Crew haunt showered for 42 Days we were living inside the same set of cammies one of my corporals finally lost it one Day and comes on the radio sir you stink and Clicks off you get pretty Ripe in the Early Days they stand in ammunition cans Bare to the world and Bathe As Best As they could they would launder their clothing dump the Grimy water and Call for the next Guy now living at to As its often called where one can Shower six times a Day if work schedules permit makes the memory a laughable one he said this is my fourth time Back and its almost Comfort Able he said referring to living conditions email Sandra Jontz at caught Between two countries and fighting for both by Zeke Minaya stars and stripes Kirkuk Iraq much of Qasim disk is adult life in Northern Iraq was spent fighting he said he battled against the re Gime of former president Saddam Hussein and As a result he also fought to stay alive Dosky was a part of the kurdish band of fighters known As Pes Merga who defied Saddam Hussein from their enclave in Northern Iraq in his life Dosky 49 has been a Soldier an exile a Mechanic a cab Driver and now four years after the be ginning of another War in his country a translator for american forces in Kirkuk he is about to add one More distinction to his biography in the upcoming Days Dosky known by the nickname pc is slated to become an american citizen i am so excited he said my phone has not stopped ringing Dosky and his family were among the thousands of proud kurd who were evacuated from Northern Iraq in the mid1990s when american forces pulled out the iraqi government had warned that anyone who had worked with the americans would be hunted Dosky said i was one of the Lucky families that got out he recalled the translator the transition was not easy he remembered the travelling Community of kurd first settled in Guam for several months in preparation for their arrival in the us i was scared i had mixed feelings he said of going to a foreign country he said the move allowed him for the first time in Many years to sleep soundly and undisturbed through a whole night and without the need of a pistol under Neath his Pillow at the same time he said it was a new world for me and my English was not that Good i had All these questions How am i going to provide for my family where Are we going to live to pass the time in Guam Dosky began translating for the administrators at the Camp i want paid but it gave me something to do i  get enough of working when it was time to leave Dosky was asked where he wanted to go i didst know anything about the United states he said and left the decision in the hands of administrators that How he ended up in Lincoln neb he said i had no idea where Nebraska was Dosky says laughing i asked them if it was still in the United states he grew to like the City but eventually moved to san Diego where he worked As a pest exterminator before getting behind the wheel of a cab he was in Southern Cali fornia when the current War in Iraq began Dosky welcomed the news i was so Happy the us government finally decided to do the right thing that they should have done in 1991 he said Dosky gathered members of the kurdish Community and staged marches in support of american troops he gave free cab rides to service members but he wanted to do More he applied to become a translator and in 2004 found himself in the thick of the action in fal Lujah working with marines it was hard there were a lot of combat missions he said he returned to san Diego exhausted by the experience i had a lot of trouble sleeping he said he returned to Iraq after accepting a Posi Qasim Dosky Tion to translate in the relative Calm of Kirkuk if an american Guy is willing to come to die in my country i should be there next to him Dosky said of his return now with american citizenship on the horizon Dosky Hopes to continue to work with the military ill be More of a help to the troops now in staying Here until the end until we Fin ish this Mission he said email Zeke Minaya at m i peso Semi i