Rich Riley
Pharmacy Clerk
From Accomac, Virginia
Army National Guard, Staff Sergeant
Platoon Sergeant for Carpenters
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait 10/02-8/03
Words Provided 2006
Statement Spoken Into a Recorder
From Accomac, Virginia
Army National Guard, Staff Sergeant
Platoon Sergeant for Carpenters
Camp Arifjan, Kuwait 10/02-8/03
Words Provided 2006
Statement Spoken Into a Recorder
In December ['02], we are gearing up. I have never seen so many military vehicles in my life. As far as you can see. Then the war started. People kept coming over, more and more and more. We got on this base in Kuwait. There were 500 people, there including us. By the time March ['03] rolled around, about 25,000 people were on this base. And with the people came the crime. Human nature is unbelievable.
This is the first time we have been sent out of the country to a hostile area. We are used to being safe. People don't realize that even in Kuwait you are in some sort of danger at some point. Especially on base, because there is so much going on, on the base.
I believe that within the next 4 years, we are going to be right back over there, we won't be withdrawing. We are going to be there. It's like they have opened a can of worms, a pandora's box. There's no turning back now.
This is the first time we have been sent out of the country to a hostile area. We are used to being safe. People don't realize that even in Kuwait you are in some sort of danger at some point. Especially on base, because there is so much going on, on the base.
I believe that within the next 4 years, we are going to be right back over there, we won't be withdrawing. We are going to be there. It's like they have opened a can of worms, a pandora's box. There's no turning back now.