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Lourdes Graduate Returns From Duty In Iraq Lindsey Nahodil,20

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Posted 21 December 2003 - 01:16 AM

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=...id=482260&rfi=6

Lourdes graduate returns from duty in Iraq




By Mark Gilger , Staff Writer 12/20/2003




mark_g@newsitem.com
COAL TOWNSHIP — Serving overseas in the military during Operation Iraqi Freedom has changed the life of Coal Township resident Lindsey Nahodil forever.
The 20-year-old Army specialist, who experienced first-hand the horrors of war during her 10-month tour of duty in Kuwait and Iraq, returned home Wednesday for a 15-day leave with a new appreciation for the simple things in life.
Nahodil, a daughter of Robert and Deborah Nahodil, of 1303 W. Nelson St., entered the service in July 2001, less than two months after graduating from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School. After undergoing basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and advanced individual training at Fort Lee, Va., she was assigned to Fort Campbell, Ky., which is her permanent duty station.
On Feb. 28, she was deployed to serve in the war against terrorism in the Middle East and has spent the last 10 months as a member of the 101st Airborne Division, 7th Battalion, in Kuwait and Iraq. Nahodil and the other 19 members of her platoon were primarily responsible for establishing and securing Forward Area Refuel Points (FARP) and refueling military aircraft.
The pretty, young blonde said her platoon and other battalions were on constant watch for air and land attacks while making sure aircraft personnel had the proper fuel to continue their missions.
“We moved to a new spot every week or so and were constantly worried about getting attacked,” she explained. “Sometimes, the Iraqis would try to trick us by waving white flags as if they wanted to surrender. Then they would try to attack us. There also were a lot of ambushes set up; but, fortunately, everybody in our platoon escaped injury.”
Nahodil, who was one of only two females in her platoon and the second youngest member, recalled an incident where a female member of another battalion suffered a shrapnel wound to her leg as a result of an attack on a fuel tanker.
“The Iraqis who resented us being in their country were always trying to blow up our fuel tanks so they could eliminate the fuel supply,” she said.
According to Nahodil, some of the Iraqi residents were friendly and appreciated the protection American soldiers provided in their war-torn country, while others despised the presence of U.S. military.
“The little kids would always cheer for us and be very supportive of our efforts, but some of the adults would only stare and give you that evil look,” she said. “You had to be careful about who you trusted and we had to carry our weapons and ammo with us 24-7.”
In addition to being bombed at times with rocket-propelled grenades, Nahodil and her comrades had to endure harsh living conditions.
Soldiers had to weather intense sandstorms, low water supplies and leaky tents, and were forced to build their own primitive showers and bathrooms. “There was certainly nothing glamorous about our living conditions, but we made due with what we had like all good soldiers must do,” Nahodil said.
She said her platoon and other battalions lived on Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) for most of the 10 months and only began eating hot meals two months ago. Nahodil said care packages and mail from home helped the service men and women through some tough times.
“We always looked forward to some of the food items we got from home and the mail really helped build our morale,” Nahodil said. “But other than letters from family members, the mail really dropped off after major military operations were declared over by President George Bush in May. I urge people to continue sending mail because the troops really appreciate hearing from people back home who care about us over there.”
As for being a female in the war effort, Nahodil said her male commanding officers and platoon members have treated her very well. “We’re like a family and I view the male soldiers as my big brothers,” she said.
Nahodil, who, like her comrades, lost a lot of weight while serving in the Middle East, was only one of two members from her platoon to return to the United States on Wednesday. She was among 200 soldiers who flew into the Baltimore-Washington Airport, where they were welcomed by family, friends, military personnel and a contingent of cheerleaders applauding their efforts.
Nahodil is very grateful to return to her hometown healthy and plans to celebrate and spend as much time with her family as possible, although she regrets that the majority of her platoon remains in Iraq.
Unfortunately for Nahodil and her family, she will be returning to Iraq the first week of January; she is scheduled to remain until the middle of February.
Some of her more memorable moments in Iraq included swimming in a pool at one of the many palaces owned by former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, spending a month in a tent in the “middle of nowhere” while establishing a FARP and hearing the “whistling noise” made by rocket-propelled grenades before they exploded within a mile of where she was stationed.
“Every day seemed like an eternity over there,” she said. “I still can’t believe I’m a 20-year-old war veteran.”
Nahodil, who learned some Arabic during her first 10 months in Iraq, said everyone in her tent was excited when they saw a television report of Hussein being captured last Saturday night near his hometown of Tikrit. But she said her unit was very cautious about retaliatory strikes by some of Hussein’s followers, which came a short time after Hussein’s capture was made public. “We got hit hard that night,” she recalled.
She added, “I believe living conditions in Iraq will improve even more now that Hussein has been apprehended. But there are still a lot of people who support him in Iraq. I was surprised we got him alive, but I wasn’t surprised that he went into hiding because I think he turned into a coward once he lost his power. He did a lot of evil in his career and I believe he will be justly punished.”
Nahodil, who appreciates her parents paying for her high school education at Lourdes, said she entered the military because she didn’t want her parents top have to pay for college.
“When I was a junior in high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a military career and earn money,” she said. “I really appreciate the support I received from my parents and my 17-year-old sister, Jessica, since I entered the Army. They have been great to me.”
Nahodil, whose father was drafted and served stateside in the Army during the Vietnam War, plans to honor her four-year commitment to the Army before pursuing a degree in forensic chemistry.
But between now and Jan. 2, Nahodil plans to visit with family members, attend a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, celebrate her cousin’s 21st birthday, go shopping and enjoy some good food, television programs and music that wasn’t available to her in Iraq.
The very personal Nahodil added, “I want to feel like a civilian again and enjoy the little things I missed the most like a nice hot shower. My deployment made me appreciate where I come from because the Iraqis are very poor and have nothing. My wartime experience changed my life forever.”
Nahodil’s mother, who was ecstatic about seeing her daughter for the first time in 10 months, said, “We are extremely proud of her. It’s been a scary experience having her serve in Iraq. We were told twice before that she would be returning home, but it never happened. So needless to say, seeing her at the airport on Wednesday brought a lot of joy to my heart.”
Mr. Nahodil added, “I’m really proud of her serving her country. She enjoys herself in the military and she’s a damn good soldier.”




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