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Soldier from West Linn returns, tells truth about Iraq
West Uiii ilia Biffins_____ B
continued from page 1
"Driving down the road
you need to watch to prevent
being blown up," Craig said.
IED (Improvised Explosive
Devices) became a problem
for the soldiers and a curfew
was imposed on the city.
Craig and others patrolled
the city at night to look for
any suspicious activity.
"I needed to watch out for
my buddies and my buddies
needed to watch out for me,"
Craig said. Craig's tour of
duty lasted for about a year
when he returned to Oregon
on Feb. 14, 2004.
After a leave of absence,
Craig returned for his
second tour of duty overseas
on Sept. 5, 2005. Craig
lived at the FOB (Forward
Operating Base) - Warrior
in another secured location
in Iraq. During his second
deployment, Craig would
sleep during the day,
working nights and rotating
between three days of QRF
(quick reaction force), and
three days of patrol.
Being in the Army has
given Craig first-hand
experience about the dangers
in Iraq and the political
climate there. "We were
trying to help them and they
didn't understand that or
they didn't want that," Craig
said. "I think us being over
there has helped the country
a lot. We've given them a
stable government."
Not all the cities that they
visited in Iraq welcomed
Craig and his fellow soldiers.
"It's nice to help people out,
but it also sucks to help
people out that don't want
to be helped. There are
certain towns where they
say 'hey, leave. Go away. We
don't want you here' and
that really hurts our feelings
because we're there to help
them and not to do anything
else. We were trying to rid
them of the terrorists coming
from other towns, some from
Iran, Egypt, Turkey and
Syria."
In addition to these
hardships, soldiers have to
deal with Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder, also known
as PTSD which is triggered
by experiencing something
traumatic in which the
victim fears for his or life
or feels helpless. Research
has shown that these events
change brain chemistry and
. the way that memories are
stored. Scientists do not yet
know if it is reversible. It is
common for soldiers coming
back from war to suffer from
PTSD. It causes them to be
unable to work, to have
problems with relationships,
and to have difficulty
parenting children. Craig
Corbett Craig poses for
the West Linn Tidings in
his front yard after his
first tour of duty in Iraq.
After two tours of duty in
Iraq, Craig now suffers
from P ost-T rau m atic
S tress D iso rd er and
Bipolar Disorder.
Photo submitted by
Corbett Craig
suffers from PTSD and is on
a number of drugs ranging
from anti-depressants,
anti-anxiety medication and
sleeping pills. Craig also
suffers from bipolar disorder.
"It's a small price to pay
for what we did out there,"
Craig said.
The Army insurance
company Tri-Care is paying
for all of Craig's medical
needs now that he has
returned from war. For $12
a month, soldiers get full
counseling dental, eye and
surgical coverage. A soldier's
family gets the same
coverage for $24 a month.
Coupled with the
symptoms of PTSD, Craig
has also had to deal with
a divorce from the wife
whom he married in 2004
after his first tour in Iraq
and divorced in 2006. It
is reported that between
the years of 2001 and
2004, divorce rates have
nearly doubled among
those enlisted in the Army
increasing from 5,658 to
10,477. The Army has the
highest divorce rate out of
any of the military services
in the United States with 6%
of Army officers and 3.5%
of enlisted men divorced in
2004.
With Bush's new proposal
to send more troops to Iraq
and the new confrontations
with Iran, Craig feels that a
change needs to be made.
"I think it's stupid
(sending more troops to
Iraq) because you don't need
more troops over there. You
need better politics. You
need people to actually set
up the government over
there rather than send more
people who basically become
bullet shields," Craig said.
Craig, again residing in
West Linn, works at Fry's
Electronics in Wilsonville.
Fie hopes to continue his
education and strives
to become an electrical
engineer. Craig's advice for
men and women who are
interested in enlisting in the
Army is, "Think it through."
Now turning 23, Craig
has seen more than most
Americans will see in their
lifetime. Trying to obtain
normalcy in his life, Craig is
now at a crucial place in his
life.
"After my second tour in
Iraq, I saw a coffee cup that
my mom had," Craig said.
"It was a James Dean quote
which said, 'Dream as if
you'll live forever. Live as if
you'll die today.' I realized
that it was so true and that I
need to take it one day at a
time."
Size really does m atter when it comes to colleges
u
S achie H opkins ____________
Page Editor
One of the biggest
decisions many people
face in their life is which
college to attend. There
are many factors that go
into this decision including
selecting a location and
major, and deciding which
extracurricular activities are
desirable. FFowever, for most,
deciding what size college
is one of the hardest parts.
There are many advantages
and disadvantages to colleges
of every size.
"It is all about a personal
preference from student to
student," Julie Swanson,
career center coordinator,
said.
Big schools: 18,000
students or more—
There is a wide range of
big schools beginning at
18.000 students, up to the
very large schools, such as
the University of Texas at
Austin with an enrollment of
48.000 students; twice the size
of the city of West Linn. Large
schools bring many things to
the college experience such as
more choices of majors and
classes, and often, the chance
to work with distinguished
professors. Larger schools
tend to have stronger athletic
programs as well as athletic
pride. There are usually
more housing options and
better labs, equipment and
libraries, according to www.
collegebord.com.
On the other hand, at
big schools there are larger
class sizes, as well as the
likelihood of becoming just
another face in the crowd.
There tends to be less
flexibility with scheduling
and often classes will
be taught by a teaching
assistant rather than the f
"famous professor" who 11
be working
own re
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discuss
large ni
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class; si
student
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Small schools: 3,50
students or rl less—
Small schools can
from less than 500 sfii dents
about 3,500 students,
schools offer features that
large colleges can't such as
a more personal approach
and a community feel. With
smaller numbers, many
things are possible including
more one-on-one interactions
with other students as well
as professors. There are
more hands-on learning
opportunities as well as
usually more discussions
with smaller class sizes, and
less of the teacher lecturing.
Classes also tend to be taught
by the professor, rather than
an assistant. Students are
often able to design their
majors and students and
advisers are on a first name
basis. Since there are more
small schools to choose from,
competition for scholarships,
both academic and athletic, is
reduced.
"The ratio of students to
professors in small colleges is
obviously more...class sizes
are also smaller," Swanson
said. "Small schools tend to
be more personalized, and
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have more services for those
who have specific education
needs."
At small colleges, athletic
offerings tend to be fewer
Jn at larger schools and
choices of majors are
foreiiriit
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to those who like to discuss
and have a more personal
relationship with professors
and fellow students. Students
who are interested in creative
fields or those who are
interested in a specific major
coming into college do well
at small colleges.
For those looking for
something that is between g&Sk
these two options, there ar^^
many mid-sized colleges that
have a small college feel, with
many of the large college
resources.
"Go to the campus vists.
See if the school is right for
you," Swanson said. "Often
you will see it online, but
when you actually get there it
isn't what you expected."
Whether a small or a large
college is more appealing to
an applicant's personality
and learning style, it is
important to consider all
options carefully, and to
remember the pros and cons
of each size of college.
Spring Break promises
week of travel,
Staff Reporter
5 ) S (> u th p a d r e j s la n d ; 6 )
A warm, beautiful beach,
the b rig h t sun beam ing
down on the water, and the
smell of the ocean in the
Negril, Jamaica; 7) North
American Ski Resorts; 8)
Nassau, Bahamas; 9) Puerto
Vallarta; and the runners up
Although not everyone
Rico), a^ording to an ar~
one7of the most anticipated
vacations of the year, Spring
Break (Mar. 24 to Apr. 1), has
students and families plan-
rung ahead for an exciting
week.
The top ten spring break
destinations for 2007 are: 1)
Cancún; 2) Rosarito Beach,
Baja; 3) Acapulco; 4) Florida
student travel,
"So far in 2007,
spots have been I
Mexico, the Caribb<
seven day cruises," Joyce
Bates, travel agent at Sun
Connections, LLC in West
Linn, said.
Iprlii IfiH
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oonttnued on pag *
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