Edwin Medina

Segment Synopsis: Medina split his childhood between Ohio and Puerto Rico. He would spend the summers in Puerto Rico with his father and the school year in Columbus with his mother. His three uncles all served in the United States Army. Two of his mother's brothers settled in Lancaster, Ohio while his father lived in both Columbus and Puerto Rico

Keywords: Columbus (Ohio); Lancaster (Ohio); San Juan (P.R.); United States. Army

Subjects: Childhood; Tradition of Military Service

Segment Synopsis: Medina's uncles' military examples impressed him from an early age and contributed to him serving in the United States Army. In August of 2000 Medina enlisted and was sent to Fort Knox for basic training. There he learned to work together with the rest of his team and served as a personnel officer in the S1.

Keywords: Combat; Fort Knox (Ky.); Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988; Military service, Voluntary; Personnel management; Veterans; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Subjects: Basic training; Military specialty; Why did you enlist

Segment Synopsis: Medina was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood Missouri to oversee their basic training hold-overs, or those who had not passed basic training for some reason. When Sergeant Stevens asked for volunteers to join the 5th Engineering Battalion for deployment despite having two sons Medina felt that he could not dodge his duty to his Country. He became the 5th's squad automatic weapon (SAW) gunner carrying the light machine gun.

Keywords: Basic training; Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.); Machine guns,; United States. Army. Engineer Battalion, 5th

Subjects: 3rd Combat Training Brigade; SAW gunner; United States. Army. Engineer Battalion, 5th

Segment Synopsis: Medina describes a combat situation where a civilian contractor convoy was hit near Taji, Iraq. He talked about how the normalcy of violence felt so strange, and how he felt about the good people of Iraq.

Keywords: Combat; Explosives, Military; Hummer trucks; Taji (Iraq); Tikrīt (Iraq)

Subjects: Camp Speicher, IED,; Combat; Forward Operating Base Gunner

Segment Synopsis: Medina talks about traveling trough Iraq and the different places he saw including Camp Speicher before he arrived at K-2 Airbase in northern Iraq. He related a story about a tense moment went they heard their first prayer call and thought it was the signal for an attack. He also describes Saddam's palaces and the removal of pro-Saddam art.

Keywords: Hussein, Saddam, 1937-2006; Pillage; Prayer, Call to (Islam); Salvage; Taji (Iraq); Tikrīt (Iraq); United States. Army. Infantry Division, 4th

Subjects: Prayer call scare; Saddam's palaces; Traveling through Iraq

Segment Synopsis: Iraqi Civil Defense Corps

Keywords: AK-47 rifle; Barbershops; Civil defense--Iraq; Laundry workers

Subjects: Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, 3 rounds ak-47s

Segment Synopsis: After arriving in Iraq Medina didn't sleep for three days because his group was making up ground behind the front line. He talks about seeing the aftermath in Baghdad, settling in to camp life, and convoying to assess the different groups they had stationed as they moved North. He also talks about life back home and the preciousness of life.

Keywords: M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle; Taji (Iraq),United States. Army. Engineer Brigade, 555th; United States. Army. Infantry Division, 3rd; United States. Army. Infantry Division, 4th

Subjects: Convoying; Homelife; Pushing North

Segment Synopsis: Medina talks about his last day and his company being stuck in traffic in Baghdad where they were in significant danger.

Keywords: Baghdad (Iraq); Explosives; Prayers; Traffic congestion

Subjects: Baghdad traffic jam

Segment Synopsis: Medina discusses what they did for fun in Iraq which included weightlifting, boxing, and hanging out at Saddam's Presidential Palace. He also talks about buying roast chicken so that he and the guys would have something to eat besides MREs.

Keywords: Basketball; Boxing; Motion pictures; Operational rations (Military supplies); Palaces; Swimming; Tikrīt (Iraq); Weight lifting

Subjects: Recreation

Segment Synopsis: Medina talks about being required to carry their MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) suit around for the first several months, after which they abandoned the gear.

Keywords: Protective clothing; Weapons of mass destruction

Subjects: WMDs

Segment Synopsis: Medina describes celebrating the holidays in Iraq. 1st Sergeant Villa dressed as Santa Claus and road around in the turret of a Humvee for the occasion.

Keywords: Football; Holidays; Military exchanges; Santa Claus

Subjects: Holidays; Missing home

Segment Synopsis: Medina talks about how he did not sleep for two days after coming home because he was enjoying the simple things in life. He talks about how he met his future wife and deciding not to reenlist because he would be deploying every other year. He also discusses his problems adjusting to civilian life.

Keywords: Fellowship; Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.); Post-traumatic stress disorder; SportsCenter (Television program); United States. Army. Engineer Brigade,555th; United States. Army. Infantry Division, 4th; Veteran reintegration

Subjects: Adjusting to civilian life; Back to the Personnel; Coming home; Reenlisting

Segment Synopsis: Medina talks about how his military experiences put the pressures of civilian life in perspective and an appreciation of what you have. He explains why he chose not to join the National Guard and what he would tell his sons if they were thinking about going into the military.

Keywords: Columbus (Ohio); Master of business administration degree; Ohio. National Guard; Universities and colleges; Veterans; War stories

Subjects: Army experience; Keeping in touch; Schooling

Segment Synopsis: Medina discusses his feelings about his service and what he thinks should have been done differently. He talks about his work with the PATRIOTS program at Ohio Dominican University and why it is important to be a part of veterans organizations. He concludes by describing what civilians should know about those who serve and his memories of 9/11.

Keywords: Afghan War, 2001-; Afghanistan; Counterinsurgency; Iraq; September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001

Subjects: 9/11; Feeling about service; Veteran organizations; What civilians should know/do