PVCC Puma Press: December 2006

	........................

	Photo courtesy of James Webeck
	James Webeck, U.S. Soldier currently serving in Iraq, says soldiers are humble by nature and it is their job to give their all.
	........................

“I totally won that round!” Said James, playfully, coming back to his room and typing into the instant messenger text box.

His buddy Adam was lying down on his bunk with his laptop and Frosted Flakes cereal, when James decided to sneakily spray Adam’s feet with Febreze. James took a couple more shots of Febreze at Adam, before running away, while Adam grabbed his Windex. It was a complete Febreze versus Windex battle.

Nineteen-year-old James Webeck is an American Soldier from Minnesota, currently serving in Iraq. Wearing full-length trousers bloused above tan boots, black belt, and eggshell colored undershirt with his army combat uniform, James joined the military in June 2005. He joined just a few months after graduating high school.

Some of Webeck’s missions are fun pranks to his buddies. The other missions are serious and a risk to his life every day.

“I can tell you a dozen stories about people who could have died but didn’t, where people did what they had to do, with leadership or no leadership, and we made it out okay. That’s what second platoon does,” says Webeck, “ We fight harder, we fight faster, we think better, and we react for the platoon as a whole because we are brothers.”

Where does Webeck get his strength and guidance?

“Personally, God Rocks!” says Webeck.

“Strength comes from within—from who I am in Him (God), from who He has made me. Support comes from home and from people. Guidance comes from Him and from training,” says Webeck.

Webeck also says, being a soldier is strength in itself.

“They call it soldiering up for a reason,” says Webeck.

When people tell Webeck he is a hero, he responds, “I’m no hero.”

Webeck says soldiers are humble by nature and they stop thinking about having to win. He says that’s not their job to think of winning, their job is to be a soldier and give it their all.

Webeck says his buddies in Iraq are all very close. “We are brothers,” says Webeck.

Full of emotion and near tears, Webeck told one of his experiences of his platoon’s brotherhood.

One day when James and his best friend Montoya were standing around their Humvees waiting to go on a mission, they heard rockets coming down.

Webeck says they can tell by the sound of an approaching rocket if they will be safe. The rockets make a vroom sound if they are passing and will not hit locally. On this day, the sound kept getting louder and that meant the rockets were coming their way. Webeck and Montoya were not safe this time.

“Montoya tackled me and laid on me so I wouldn’t get hit,” says Webeck. “Montoya is a hero.”

Neither of them got injured from “that” incident, but being a part of this soldiers’ brotherhood means risking their lives not only for their country but also for each other.

Webeck’s best friend Montoya later died in Iraq and he will always be a hero to Webeck.

“It’s easy not to be afraid when you’re sitting here... but on the way to the OP (Observation Post), in a Bradley, not seeing anything and just knowing any second there can be an explosion and you’re missing both legs—you pray,” says Webeck. “Its not like a crippling, I-can’t-handle-it kind of fear. “Its like you grit your teeth, furl your brow, maybe scowl a little bit, and say, Dude, I better not die here!”

	........................
	When people tell Webeck he is a hero, he responds, 'I’m no hero'
	........................

As infantrymen, Webeck says they learn to turn fear into intensity and alertness.

Being away from family, friends and loved ones is also tough for Webeck. Webeck says he is okay with dying but the thought that bothers him is never being able to see his loved ones again.

Webeck lives in a room that is about 20-25 feet wide with three other male American soldiers.

The other three men have wall lockers and ponchos to make curtains, but Webeck happily says his bed is conveniently by the door.

Webeck says he has enough privacy. He says for the most part everyone keeps to himself and their latrines have stalls with locks and the showers have curtains for privacy.

“Its really not bad,” says Webeck, “all very trailer park like, but not bad.”

“We have the Internet, coffee shop, places to buy video games, xbox’s, Playstations, DVD’s, magazines and more,” says James.

Webeck says, with excitement, “There’s a dayroom with a satellite TV that gets all the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) pay-per-view’s.” His platoon enjoys watching the UFC in their free time.

An average day for Webeck would depend on what kind of mission he has, but on the OP, where he usually is, he wakes up and shaves, gets on the Internet for a while, gets some food and watches DVD’s before his mission.

Webeck has tons of DVD’s and he even laughs about how he is coming home from Iraq with a duffle bag full of them. They consist of “The Notebook,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Serendipity” and spy and war movies.

“We have a lot of DVD’s here in the PX store and they’re really expensive,” says Webeck.

In the evening they head down to the Bradley’s with all of their gear, get some dinner and load up.

Physical training (PT) the soldiers can go to the gym on their own accord if they want to, it is completely up to them and can be done on their free time

“From there, we roll outside the fob to the building where the OP is and like 1830 we leave,” says Webeck.

Some of Webeck’s missions are about five to eight hours for the shortest ones and some of the longer missions are 48 hours or more. At any time, anything could change, He could be doing something and they could come in and tell him to do something else.

Webeck is influenced by and proud of his great grandfather who served in World War II.

“I have always admired my great grandfather, even though he spoke little of Normandy and Calais,” says Webeck.

Webeck does not remember much about his great grandfather because he died when Webeck was in third grade, but Webeck says he remembers his great grandpa was a good man with a lot of honor and the kind of man no one would be ashamed to be.

“He worked his fields until the day he died,” says Webeck, “I have his combat infantryman’s badge (CIB) from the invasion of Normandy.”

Webeck says he also has a CIB from one of his missions from an ambush at checkpoint 11, but he thinks he is going to wear his great grandfather’s instead.

A day off for Webeck would usually consist of eating club crackers with some Spam spread on them with a bottle of ice water, curling up in the dark in his sleeping bag on his lopsided mattress (currently being leveled by a foam mat and half empty water bottles) and putting on a DVD or listening to music.

Webeck visits the PX store where he says they can buy average snack foods like chips, salsa, glass jar mocha Starbucks frapachinos, magazines and some electronics.

“It’s not too big but it’s enough,” says Webeck, “ it’s like a quarter to a half a mile walk and you can go whenever you are not on mission.”

“Dessert in the chow hall is pretty good, cake and Baskin Robbins ice cream,” says Webeck nodding his head up and down.

Webeck says they have chocolate, vanilla, cookies and cream, pralines and cookie dough Baskin Robbins ice cream. They also have different kinds of pies. They have different kind of cheese pies, apple and cherry and chocolate cake all for free.

Webeck says they have cafeteria-style food in the mainline. Friday’s there’s low quality shrimp and lobster and mostly boiled but partially fried steaks. Short order line has chicken strips, hamburgers, chicken burgers and there is also a cold sandwich line.

Webeck has many plans for when he gets out of the Army and is back home. “I’m definitely going to college...I have a lot of ideas in mind,” says Webeck.

Webeck says he is thinking about career options in computers, youth ministry, theater and music. He also wants to be in a band again, which he used to be in before he left for Iraq.

Webeck likes alternative metal groups like Skillet and Spoken.

As for now Webeck is counting the days till he is reunited with friends and loved ones.

“Talking online or on an occasional phone call just is not enough, says Webeck, “I count the days till I can be back with family and friends.”

Webeck says he also misses being able to do things, but he does what he can from where he is right now. He also says he remembers he must “Charlie Mike (meaning continue mission and just drive on).”

Webeck waits to go on his mission while typing on his laptop, “18 days,” he says while typing. Eighteen days until he gets to be reunited with his family and friends. Eighteen days till another American soldier comes home.