Michael Aguirre: News From the Front

Alumnus Michael Aguirre (Class of '94, B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies) is currently serving in Iraq as a Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) for the United States Army. A 25-year veteran of the California Army National Guard, Aguirre was sent last summer from his home base in Long Beach, California, to Fort Bliss, Texas, to prepare for deployment. He is currently stationed in Balad, at LSA (Logistics Support Area) Anaconda, one of the largest air bases in Iraq. He writes:

It's 12:00 a.m. and the helos keep coming, bringing the wounded. I can't sleep, but then again I haven't had a good night's rest since I was home back in April. My room is about 1,000 meters or so from the landing pad. Sometimes at night, all you can see is the Red Cross on the chopper as it hovers in to land, then you see the back-up helo covering. When the Marines come in, the Cobra supports the
helo and a Black Hawk supports the Army when they come in. After awhile, you learn the sound and can tell without looking up, who is coming in. I ponder how much really different it is from being back home on a Saturday night in a trauma or emergency room.

As I get closer to coming home, I begin to examine what I have gone
through and experienced thus far. I have been very fortunate and my missions have gone smoothly except for the mortar attacks. So far this month, we have had seven hits but five of them landed in one day.

Stay tuned for continued coverage on the attacks. I'm one of the few from our unit who have gone outside the wire. Being outside the wire, you see things from a different perspective. You see people who give you the impression that you are welcomed as they smile at you. But then you have a loaded weapon, all the better for them to hate you.

Love, Michael

6.10.06