When our brigade arrived to Iraq I could barely see anything at all. Our Company was barraged with briefing after briefing it just seemed like it would never end. I was warned that camp Ballad was next to IED alley which is hit by mortar rounds almost all the time. The most memorable moment was when I was doing tower guard for three months straight. I can't remember what exact day it was but it was during the summer night where I had to pull three shifts and only got two hours of sleep. During that two hours two mortar rounds hit the camp about 50 yards away from our guard shack. That whole time I slept through it like a baby even though I was told the ground shook. That night was the most chaos I'd seen during the time spent in Iraq. We were tasked to carry helicopter parts, broken and new, inside the FOB for 3rd ID. In my opinion I thought it was a waste of time and of the taxpayers dollars. We had no reason of being there. I am really thankful and blessed that I came home safely and out of harms way. I just would like all my friends and comrades who are still serving in the present to do the same. I served my seven years, four years of active-duty and three years in the National Guard. I was honorably discharged on March 9, 2011.