There is absolutely nothing Tasty about war.  We are completely in awe of the men and women who are serving our country in the armed forces, and feel very lucky that one such young man, James Chintala, agreed to share some of his thoughts and feelings with us.

After two tours of duty in Iraq (he may be going back a third time!), we find James to have a wonderful outlook on life, free-will and the nature of making compromises.  Even after facing combat, James is not bitter.  In fact, he whole-heartedly values taking care of the environment, and embraces eating healthy, organic food.  His attitude is exceptional, and as far as we’re concerned, he’s a hero.

INDEPENDENCE FROM...COMBAT

 
- James Chintala, Contributing Writer

First off, thank you so much for the support; it’s always wonderful to hear it.  I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 4 years and 3 months now. I was 19 when I enlisted, and I worked a slew of jobs before joining. I realized fairly early that getting a normal education wasn’t exactly the route that I wanted to take. I also knew that I needed to do something, so I enlisted with a very close childhood friend. It’s the best thing I’ve done so far. I wouldn’t change this choice for the world.

My first tour was an amazing experience. I finally felt like I was part of something bigger than my own life. I was very lucky to be deployed with an amazing group of men and women. We really developed a bond that feels everlasting. Being in a combat environment and always being alert not only for yourself, but for everyone around you, really helps you become selfless. Being so far from home only really affected me at the beginning. We fell into a very smooth operations tempo; we quickly became our own family. Whenever something would happen, (i.e. firefights, IED’s or even personal issues from home) it only made us stronger. We were fortunate enough to not have any serious injuries that were combat related. It was all part of something we were very willing to deal with, so we all grew together, which in turn helped us accomplish our missions successfully.

The second deployment was more of the same, but for most of us, we’d already been deployed at least once, so the bond kind of just picked up where it was left off after the first deployment. I stayed on base mostly, repairing vehicles and acting as a parts liaison for the mechanics shop that I was attached to. Thankfully, this past deployment was less dangerous and we had better means to keep in touch with family via email and phones.

I do believe I’ve changed, and it’s great that I can tell myself that. Without a doubt it’s been for the better. I don’t know if it’s really a philosophy about life, but I’ve just been able to come to terms with being happy about what I do, and how far I’ve come with who I am. One thing I noticed about the war once I came home were all the amazing views that others had on what the military is doing. I think it’s great that we are granted the gift of freewill. I think that it’s a wonderful thing that others can look at what we do, whether they like it or not, and draw their own feelings from it.

I know your website’s focusing on “Independence” this month. I don’t think I’ve really gained independence; we’ve had that gift since birth. I can now appreciate it though. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to look in on my own life and finally understand that I’m here, I’m doing something productive and I’m so very lucky that I enjoy it. I think there are plenty of people out there that do what they have to just to get by, even though they aren’t happy about it. Iraq didn’t change things so much as I became more willing to get out there and do something with my life, instead of just waiting for it to go by me. That’s the best freedom we can have, the choice to lead our own lives.

My job gives me the luxury of doing something that others are not so willing to do, (i.e. combat) and it is completely acceptable to me that others wouldn’t want to do it. That’s why I made that choice. That doesn’t take away from the importance of other very serious issues such as the environment or education that other equally important people dedicate their lives to. Also, it’s the small actions that count just as much as the large ones. They all have the same impact. It’s all a group effort, from the one person that recycles to the volunteers that help with relief for Katrina victims. It’s all about purpose and the effort put forth for a common goal.  Yes, being in Iraq is different, but I don’t really think that any one thing a person does can be so much more significant than another. Although being in combat isn’t something I would choose to do on a casual Sunday, recycling or making sure that where I live is a little cleaner, might be a productive choice.

Healthy food is absolutely important to me. I think organic is great, and a very healthy choice for most people. Yet another great example of our free will is the choice to become a better, healthier person. There were a fair amount of compromises in combat in terms of heating healthy, but they were all done willingly, which is exactly what makes them a compromise. The simple things obviously weren’t available – cell phones, computers and good food. Maybe living with 11 other guys in a very small, cramped wooden hut wasn’t ideal, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It created a lifestyle that was conducive to our situation. These experiences have only helped me grow, and for that I’m very thankful, and I’m looking forward to my next deployment and the men and women I’ll be working with.