Memorial Day 2011: Local Soldier Observes Holiday from Iraq

Captain Jennifer Lewis, 29, of Wilkins Township, currently is serving a tour of duty in Iraq. This is her second deployment to the country and she is preparing to return home in July.

Lewis took some time to answer a few questions about what it's like to serve overseas in the military. She graduated from Woodland Hills High School in 2000. Her mother, Ellen Lewis, works for the Woodland Hills School District.

What branch of the military are you a member of?

United States Army Reserve

Why did you decide to serve?

I was halfway through college at the University of Pittsburgh main campus and changing majors when the job market was crashing, so I joined for job security.  I also had aspirations to work in a crime lab for the FBI or CIA and thought it would help me obtain a government job.

When did you make that decision?

In 2003 after I completed the cooperative learning program with Tetra Tech NUS located in Greentree.

When did you go to Iraq?

My first tour was in Iraq from 2007 to 2008.  I returned in August 2010 to the same location.

What has the experience been like for you?

I have been very blessed in the positions I have been in, with the units and people that I work with. My first tour, I worked for a Brigadier General and was able to fly all around Iraq to see and experience different things. My current tour, I am at the Battalion level and was selected as the Action Officer for our Carrier Conference in Bahrain, and the Officer in Charge of our Carrier Conference in Aqaba, Jordan.  I also had the opportunity to travel to Victory Palace, where my battle buddy Captain Cheryl Anderson promoted me in General Austin's conference room.

What's it like being so far away from home?

I guess I weaned myself into being away from home. I went to the University of Pittsburgh which was only 15 minutes away. Then, I went to basic training, which was in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for 19 weeks.  Then, when I came home, I joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Pittsburgh and was commissioned when I graduated in 2006.  

After that, I had to go to Officer Training at Fort Benning for two months, then Fort Jackson for two months.  When I was about to graduate, my battle buddy, Cheryl, was trying to transfer to another unit in Atlanta when she got snagged for a deployment. Having grown up in the Army with her, I just couldn't let her go alone, so I volunteered to go with her. That was our first deployment in 2007 to Joint Base Balad, Iraq.  

I used to call home every Friday and it was so nice to hear everyone's voices.  On this deployment, I have Skype and it's been a lot easier to talk to my family with the added bonus of seeing them!  I was even in the family Christmas photo this year as a full screen version on my Uncle's laptop.

What are your days like there?

They start early, end late and the heat is intense. I wish I could say you get used to the heat, but you really don't. We are blessed to have air conditioning in our buildings and living quarters.

What would some people be surprised about in terms of your life in the military?

When I am in civilian clothes and someone asks what I do for a living, and I tell them I am in the Army, their first reaction is laughter. Then I tell them I'm an officer - and they ask if I am serious. The next question I normally get is, 'have you ever deployed? Ever killed anyone?' So, yes, I've been deployed twice and took a volunteer tour to Germany for a year, and I've only shot at targets -- but I AM a good shot (thanks to my father).

Have you faced challenges as a female serving in the military? If so, how have you overcome them?

There is only one standard in the Army.  All you can do is act like a soldier and treat every gender, race, rank, etc. as a soldier.  I haven't encountered any challenges as a female, but have heard of other females having issues.  

As long as you live and enforce the Army Values (loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage) then your soldiers will follow suit.

When are you slated to return home?

I will be back in Pittsburgh by the 4th of July and I can't wait!  I don't think I'll be able to watch the fireworks, though. Loud noises like that after a deployment take some time to get used to again knowing that you are in a safe location.

How has this experience changed your life in any way?

I appreciate little luxuries a lot more. Time with my family, eating at my favorite restaurant, spinning in circles with my cousins and nieces then falling down in green grass.

What would you say to folks back home about the war?

We are drawing down and it is getting quieter, which I am not sure is better or worse. Mentally, you are always on edge thinking that there will be a mass attack and you hope others aren't getting complacent. No one LIKES war. We all come, do our jobs, and can't wait to get back home to where we are safe and with our loved ones.

What are some of the best ways people here can support their troops? (i.e. sending packages, letters, etc.)

Homemade cards and letters of appreciation are always greatly appreciated. There is no greater feeling though, then coming home, stepping off the plane, and just seeing hundreds of people at the airport thanking you for your service.  It makes it all feel so worth it knowing that those are the people you were fighting for and that they are thankful and recognize our sacrifices. So, I would recommend to the community to find out what days soldiers fly home, and just go and wave a flag and say thank you to service members.

I am only here for another month but have been receiving WONDERFUL packages from Ms. Joyce Gratton's class from the Woodland Hills Academy. We have a small store here where we can get our essentials, and any crazy requests I send to my mother.  My unit bought a crock pot and experimented with some peach cobbler...nothing brings a unit together than trying to make something we all like with the few ingredients we have.

Closing thoughts? 

I love the military and wish I would have joined when I was 18 instead of when I was 21.  I would recommend the U.S. Army Reserves to anyone who still isn't sure what they want to do with their lives.  Helping soldiers is the best feeling in the world.