Why They Re-Enlist

BAGHDAD — On July 4th, in a former Saddam-era palace in Baghdad, 1,200 soldiers and marines took part in the largest mass re-enlistment in the history of the United States military. The soldiers we spoke to offered a variety of reasons for signing on for another tour: some love the military, some think the war is going well and want to finish the job, a suprising number said they wanted to stay close to their friends in the service, a few said they were swayed by bonuses.

Here are some of their voices.

Chris and Charles Worland, brothers from Wasilla, Alaska, who are both members of the 812th Military Police Company.

Charles: I enlisted at 17. I want to join the Alaska State Troopers and the military was a foot in the door. They give you priority if you have military experience. We know the risk when we reenlist, it is in the back of our mind, but it is worth it.

We’re training the Iraqi Police, we can see improvements, what we’re doing makes a difference. They have an election coming up, they’re getting their pipelines built — soon the Iraqis will be able to operate on their own. You can look back and say it was something you did and helped to build.

Chris: I enlisted when he was 18. I like being part of something bigger than just me.

Our father was prior military, and we knew we’d join too. We’d never been out of the U.S. before we joined the military, but we went on a bike trip once from Alaska to Miami when we were in high school.

We each got $15,000 for our reenlistment. The Army has already paid for a lot of my college. I’m studying business management in Anchorage. I met my wife, Christina, in the service. We’ve been married two years. She’s here today—she already re-enlisted earlier. The military is like a fraternity, you have friends wherever you go.

Bryna Morris is a sergeant with the 462nd Helicopter Squadron of the 3rd Marine Air Wing. She is from Lone Tree, Co.

This is my second tour in Iraq. I reenlisted because I love the Marine Corps. I also want to stay with my best friend, Sandra Vazquez. We’ve been following each other through the Marine Corps. She’s a staff sergeant in my unit.

I’m an aerial gunner on a helicopter. We go out on missions three to five days a week, raids and inserts. The Fourth of July is special. If you’re going to pick a day to re-enlist, this is the day. The war is hard, but it is not taking a toll on us. We still love the Marines.

Spc. Charlie Harris is from Atlanta, Ga. He is with the 546th Aerial Support Medical Company.

I’ve been in two years, and I re-enlisted for five more years. I’m proud of the soldiers and what we’ve done over here. It’s beautiful how we’ve helped this country to better itself. We liberated them from a cruel dictator, they have the freedom to vote.

I was 22 when I enlisted. It was something to do. And I was following in the footsteps of a good friend of mine from high school, Pfc. Jonah Smith. He was killed over here last year.

I take courses online, I’m studying for a music education degree. I have a lot of support from home. My family knows this is what I choose to do, what I love to do. I got $7,500 to reenlist, but I don’t do it for the money. If I wanted to make money, I could have done that at home. I come from a rough neighborhood; there were opportunities.

But the army has kept me on a real good path. I plan to make a career of it.

Pfc. Marcus Galindo from Houston, Tex., is a truck driver with the 360th Transportation Company.

“I enlisted at 19, I’m 21 now. My bonus was $9,000. It helped a lot because my wife is pregnant, she’s due in November. Being over here is hard, I’ve seen soldiers go through real changes. You go home and you’re not the same person you used to be. You can only hope that god helps you.

“I went home on R&R after six months. It took me a while to settle in, but I did ok. I’ve made some great friends here. My best man at my wedding was my battle buddy here, Pfc. Julio Avalos. He’s my best friend, like my brother.”

Correction

An earlier version of this article mislabeled the quotes and photo captions from Chris and Charles Worland, brothers from Wasilla, Alaska, who are both members of the 812th Military Police Company.
Baghdad Bureau