Soldier From Scotch Plains Featured in Time Magazine Photos of Iraq

The following information was provided by Leonard Dobis.

James G. Dobis, a 2001 Graduate of Scotch Plains-Fanwood Highschool is featured in a Time Magazine slideshow of the Iraq War, titled "A Decade of War in Iraq: The Images that Moved Them Most."

The photo of Dobis was taken by Danfung Dennis during his tour of duty in Iraq in 2007. There are 55 images, and he is in image #49.

The caption of the photo reads:

"In 2007, the fighting in Baghdad had shifted to the surrounding provinces, so US forces launched a major offensive on the city of Baquba in Diyala province. I was embedded in the 2nd Infantry Division as they cleared the city. Many houses had been booby trapped with explosives by insurgents, making movement dangerous and difficult. To gain information on the location of bombs, US soldiers spent time speaking with local residents. A women told the soldiers of a house that had been used by insurgents. We went to investigate. As we entered the house the soldier in front of me lifted up the carpet in the living room. There were wires snaking everywhere. A call from further down the hall warned us that the bomb dog had found a massive amount of explosives in the back. The solider said calmly, "Get out," then screamed, "Get out!" We rushed out and an airstrike was called in to destroy the house. Reflecting back, I was moments away from stepping on a booby trapped carpet that would have triggered a devastating blast. Nine US soliders were killed in a similar trap nearby."

To view the images, click here.

As a High School student Dobis participated in the Air Force ROTC program. He then attended Valley Forge College and graduated from Rutgers in 2005 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. He served in various combat opperations in Iraq for 15 months and earned a "Bronze Star Medal with Valor" for his combat leadership while participating in operation "Arrowhead Ripper" in Baqubah in June 2007.