During my deployment to Iraq, in 2007; I got to know a lot of Iraqi citizens and learn their culture and what they want their country to be like. I didn't like many of the adults, because they didn't seem to care for me much. The little ones however were quite alright. They want to dress like us and watch American movies and listen to American music and wouldn't mind if their country became Democratic and more like ours. I spent many hours speaking with them and listening to what their parents would tell them and then what their own little opinions on certain matters were.
                            The brunt of what they would talk about is how poor they all were, and how the bad guys, (Insurgents) would pay their older brothers or cousins or family friends, to commit violent acts against U.S. soldiers or other coalition soldiers. If they had a functioning economy and available jobs and a functioning government then things would be different and for the better. I was there from 2007 to late 2010 and I saw many improvements. Schools being built, colleges, hospitals, water treatment facilities, garbage dumping sites, government buildings being handed back over to the Iraq people and our military training and equipping the new Iraqi Army with many of our own weaponry and training them how to use it all. During the last month I was there in 2010, I personally pulled security at the first democratic elections in Baghdad, Iraq. Hopefully some of these little ones in this picture will be able to live a better life because of our involvement in Iraq. Time will tell......