I was not an elite soldier, nor a “hero” by any means, but proudly served in Iraq as an Army Reserve Staff Sergeant while attached to the Stryker Brigade Combat Team (3-2) out of Fort Lewis, Washington. I joined the reserves in 2001 while working as a Berkeley Police Officer and volunteered for a deployment to Afghanistan because of 9/11. In 2003 I finally got the opportunity. Three months into our mobilization our mission was diverted to Iraq. I deployed in support of the 2nd Infantry Division and the experience forever changed me. Serving my country at war was the most seminal event of my life and everything since then has been viewed through the lens of this experience.

I was extremely impressed and proud of the fact that our combat brigade was not only extraordinarily proficient at their war fighting mission but equally compassionate for the people we were trying to help. In what at times seemed a surreal existence, we conducted raids against insurgents at night and delivered humanitarian supplies to refugees by day. This dichotomy and the ability to do both well is quite a statement about the professionalism and character of our current generation of warriors.

As a member of a Civil Affairs Team my job was to interface with the civilian population, conduct assessments, and provide for their needs. Among other missions, we helped deliver humanitarian supplies to over 2,000 refugees. But because the infantry soldiers in our brigade were so good at helping the civilian populous on their own I at times felt superfluous!

I feel fortunate to have worked with such an amazing group of men and women. You have good cause to be proud of them. My experience in combat and its effects on me when I returned home was the impetus for me to enter filmmaking and acting. Acting and storytelling through the medium of film and stage has become a form of catharsis for me as a veteran. I now use these arts as a form of catharsis for veterans dealing with PTSD and as a means of promoting peace.