On one of my last missions in Iraq I went to see the Sheik of one of the villages we are responsible for. We came to introduce him to soldiers from the unit that will be replacing us and to ask if there is anything that can be done to make the area safer. We sat together in a large room lined with plush, decorative chairs. The Sheik’s men served us tangerines and tea as he spoke of conditions in his village and the surrounding areas. He was a very eloquent, well educated man, and it was interesting to hear what he had to say about the progress of his country. He was concerned about the violence prevalent in many other villages, but had a generally optimistic view of Iraq’s future.

Photo taken by LT. P.