A Civilian On the Inside

Senior Luiza Leite had a rare opportunity last summer to work with a military chaplain.

"I realized how precious [the opportunity] was ... I felt some sense of responsibility" to share it, she said. Leite, a Peace and Conflict Studies major, will be speaking about her experience on Thursday, October 27, at 7 p.m. in Frey 110.

As she described it, Leite will be talking about what it was like to be "a civilian on the inside," sharing the profiles of people she met.

"Not everyone is there because they believe that what they are doing is right."

Leite says that the economy often has an effect on their decision. The lowest rank, Private, is guaranteed at least $17,000 a year, housing, food, and health care. After three years, soldiers are offered a bonus of $12,000 to re-sign for another six years.

Army wife Sarah Taylor told David Greene on National Public Radio, "It's stable, it's secure. And you have to really mess up to get fired." Her husband Jeff had to leave Iraq, however, because of his mental health. He returned home earlier this year and is still affected by the war.

Working under the chaplain, Leite saw some of these effects. Everyday was different, she said, but some days they interviewed soldiers, who must pass physical and psychological testing, as well as spiritual assessments, before going to the Middle East.

Even so, soldiers may be strongly affected by the war. In a 2004 study of troops returning from Iraq published in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in eight soldiers had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Others suffered from major depression and anxiety disorders.

Leite believes that Americans should support these soldiers. She also said that "we should be concerned with what our government is doing." This not only affects the soldiers, but also their families.

Although Leite was uncertain about sharing her experiences, she decided civilians had a right to know.

"I learned, in essence, that these men and women, like any other men and women, are our brothers and sisters."

Leite will be graduating in May, after which she would like to work in the sustainability field.

Encouraging consumers to know where their purchases come from, Leite believes that "the simplest things contribute to the wars our country is in."