I served in Iraq from March of 2003 until November of 2003 as a surgical assistant. Since returning from Iraq I have worked to bring an end to the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. I was honorably discharged from the Army in January of 2004. I have been a member of IVAW since May of 2005. My daughter Ivy was born just days before I deployed to Iraq. She is now 5 years old. I recently traveled to Washinton DC to testify at the Winter Soldier hearings. My testimony can be found on this website under the Gender and Sexuality panel. I spoke about rape, abuses of power, and tough choice soldiers face under fire.
Shortly after returning from the Winter Soldier hearings I went to Japan for a 10 day speaking tour about my time in Iraq. I was well received by the Japanese people who seem to be very interested in the peace process. Their commitement to peace was impressive and my hope is that one day our country will be able to value peace in the same way. I would like to thank a few of the people that helped make my trip a great experience. Thank you to Mr Fuse, Mr Miura, and Mr Kato from Zenroren.
I speak pubilcally about the challenges that soldiers face in Iraq as much as my time allows. I feel that people need to hear what is really happening, not just sound bites from the media. Personal experiences bring that message home. If you would like to invite me to speak at your high school, college, or at a peace rally please do not hesitate to contact me directly. I can be emailed at wheels777 [at] hotmail [dot] com