PISICUŢĂ

This is the name that was given to me by the Romanian Captain that worked with us on our missions in Afghanistan in 2004. Radu Paderescu was on our team, and an awesome guy. In fact, I got along well with all the Romanians. They provided our security most of the time, and I felt safer with them than I did with American security.

I met a lot of great people from Romania and I want to go visit them. I have a lot of respect for them and their country. They don't have a lot, but they love their country and their people. They would always be telling me about how pretty Romania was, and they would always talk about the history and folklore of the country.

I can't really say that for Americans. I love my country so much, but so many people take what we have here for granted. They think that they are owed what they have, and more. Americans say so many negative things about this country and it's leadership - in a country like Afghanistan, they would be killed for saying such things.

While overseas in Kandahar Afghanistan, I didn't have much. I lived in a tent with five other guys stationed there that were attached to my unit. I was the only female from the 320 Psyop Company there, and running combat missions almost every day - though I never received fire. It was hard work, but so interesting to be able to talk to the people outside the wire. My job was amazing, but disheartening to see what people in a third world country have to go through.

Well, it's been four years and I still think about Afghanistan and my time there. In a way, I miss it. I made a lot of friends there. Mostly Romanian friends, and I started to learn the language. I could understand a little bit, and speak even less - but it was fun.

So i'm still saving up for my trip to Romania, and I really hope my friends are still there. By the way, PISICUŢĂ means kitten in Romanian. It was my nickname because I was the youngest person and the only female on our team.