U.S. Army Spec. Sean Ivie spent a week visiting his friends in Carson Valley and talking to school children about his experiences in Iraq.
Already signed up for another hitch in the Army, Ivie is living in Hawaii with his wife Nicole. He grew up in Gardnerville, attending Scarselli, Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School and graduating from Douglas High School in 2005.
In December 2007, he arrived at Camp Taji, located 60 miles north of Baghdad with the 2nd Stryker Combat Brigade, 25th Infantry.
"The area we were in was a lot like Gardnerville," he said. It was rural with a lot of farms."
A few months after his arrival, the cease fire in Sadr City between the Shiite militias and the government collapsed, and his unit was ordered into combat.
"That's where I lost my buddy, Kyle," he said. "After that calmed down, we went back to more of a humanitarian effort, helping the Iraqi people establish their own government. We helped train their military and police, and made sure they could handle their own business."
Ivie said the Iraqis abilities improved in the 15 months he was there.
"Just in the time between when we got there and when we left, they got a lot better at what they do," he said. "On Jan. 1, they started the handover. American forces aren't supposed to detain anyone or run a mission without the Iraqi Army or the Iraqi police alongside them. We're basically handing Iraq back over to them. Standing behind them, making sure they're doing the right thing and stepping in where we have to."
He said that while the Iraqis culture is very different from ours, many are just trying to live their lives.
"A lot of them are just like you and I, who are just trying to make it day to day," he said. "And then there are the ones who are out to get us and you can't really tell one from the other."
Ivie said he knew some of the tribal leaders the Army was working with had killed Americans in the past.
"One guy, we knew that in the past he'd killed Americans and done all this bad stuff," Ivie said. "But he doesn't do it anymore. Now he's a sheik and we have to let him come into our compound. You know that guy is probably screwing you over, but you can't do anything about it, because he's giving you the information you need to go pull up caches of weapons and capture the guys you're looking for."
Ivie said he's happy to be back in the United States, but is ready for a change from Hawaii.
If he stays in Hawaii, he'll be going to Afghanistan next, but he's seeking a station stateside.
"Nicole wants to go to Alaska," he said. "That would be kind of cool. I'd really like to travel around the country."
Ivie thanked residents for their efforts to get care packages out to the soldiers, saying they really made a difference.
"We all really appreciated the gift packages everyone sends, and the support from our community," he said. "It goes a long way. You're over there on a sand dune getting cards and letters from people you don't even know. Knowing they're supporting you is a good feeling."
For now, it will be a while before he's ready to come back to Carson Valley for good.
"Some day when I'm older and ready to settle down," he said. "Gardnerville is more of a chill back and retire place. Until then, I'll see where the road takes me."
Kurt Hildebrand is editor of The Record-Courier. Reach him at 782-5121.
