I served in Iraq
For many of us, the conflict in Iraq is something we see on the news. But for people who serve in the military and their families, what's happening there is part of daily life. Meet three women who were deployed to Iraq. And learn all about their joyous, and challenging, return home.
Naomi Kraima, 31, Biloxi, Miss.
I was working as an administrative assistant in 2000 and had two kids to support when I decided I wanted to serve my country and offer my girls a better life. My stepfather was a marine, which was a great example to me growing up. So I enlisted in the Air Force and soon became an aerospace control warning system specialist.
I was the person on the ground telling the pilots where their targets were. I loved it and thought I'd do it until I retired.
In early 2003, I was deployed to Iraq. I'm single, so my girls went to live with my mom. Sabrine was only 3 years old, and Carmen was 7 and we had to take her out of school. It wasn't easy, but we were told it was going to be only three months.
As soon as I arrived in Kuwait, we had to drive 300 miles in a 100-vehicle convoy to Baghdad. The hardest part was seeing Iraqi kids on the side of the road begging for food. The second day, the kids didn't approach us; they were just staring. I sensed something was wrong. Then I heard a boom and people shouting, "Take cover! Casualty! Casualty!"
The casualty turned out to be my good friend, a staff sergeant. He died that day. We weren't prepared for the possibility of losing someone so soon. I arranged his memorial, and we were told, "Mourn now, but this is it. You have a job to do, and you have to get back into your warrior mentality." So that's what we did.
Probably because I was one of the few women in my unit, I became a kind of therapist to many of the guys. They called me "big sis" or "little sis," and to this day that's how I sign my e-mails to them. The counselor in Iraq warned me, "It's OK to be a friend for now, but eventually you're going to need to deal with this stuff yourself."
After seven months, I was redeployed home. I thought I'd be able to leave what happened in Iraq behind me, but returning to everyday life was such a drastic change. I was so happy to see my kids, but at the same time, I didn't want anyone in my personal space. I was filled with anxiety: Even today I don't like to sit with my back to the door. I have vivid nightmares and often sleep in the living room just to make sure no one can get in and hurt my kids.
My mom noticed right away that something was wrong. But my kids were so young, they didn't understand what I was dealing with. I've gotten them into a therapeutic day camp for children of Iraq veterans, and I think it has been good for them. Things are slowly getting better for me, too. Therapy has helped me, and I've retired from the military. I now work for Disabled American Veterans, a nonprofit organization. I help disabled vets complete their paperwork.
My service in Iraq has made me even more appreciative of my time with my kids. Carmen is now 13, Sabrine is 8, and I had my youngest, DJ (who is 22 months), since I've been back. I'm most content when we're just hanging out or joking around or going to the movies. I've also found peace going to church. You will not see me bungee jumping or diving out of airplanes anytime soon! I've had a lifetime's worth of adrenaline rushes already.