Spotlight

Christmas in Iraq

By Erin Hayes Burt

No, you’re not going crazy; Randy Garsee looks familiar. That’s because prior to going to Iraq to report for the Marines, Garsee played co-anchor with Kris Pickel on KOLD-TV’s 10 o’clock news. But when the Marines came calling, he couldn’t pass up the once-in-a-lifetime offer. Yes, Garsee left his family and the comforts of home behind and headed to a war-torn country in the most unstable region in the world.

With a little help from Facebook.com and email, Garsee spoke from Al Asad Airbase in northern Iraq about his voluntary deployment to Iraq as a journalist, what the holidays will be like this year, and why he wouldn’t have it any other way.

OVM: How did you make the leap from television anchor to field reporter?

RG: It was an incredible stroke of luck. I answered an ad with a defense contractor. It was a contract with the Marines, who were looking for a professional journalist. I thought it was some huge contract that would employ scores of people. But the man who would become my boss, retired Col. Lance Ledoux, told me, “No, you are the contract!” No pressure there, right?

As a journalist, you can’t pass up history. It was a rare opportunity to witness history from the perspective of the incredible men and women in our military. When I learned I would be working side by side with U.S. Marines, I knew it was something I had to do.

OVM: How do you feel about your job?



RG: I love it! This job has allowed me to rediscover my passion for storytelling. I can be creative and take time to craft the story. My reports have aired in numerous U.S. television markets including San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Dallas. They’re also aired worldwide on military broadcast outlets like MarinesTV and AFN.

OVM: Is there anything you like better about being a reporter in Iraq than being a reporter in the States?

RG: Americans don't come to Iraq for the sunshine and great resorts — at least not yet. But it may surprise some of your readers that it's easy to make great friends in a war zone. Your military veterans who are reading this will understand exactly what I mean. When you spend time with a group of people in a difficult environment, you share something with them. The bonds of friendship formed in a combat zone lasts forever, even when there's no combat.

OVM: What about being overseas has impacted you the most?



RG: What I've been most struck by is how little America hears about the incredible progress that's been made in Iraq in the past two years.

OVM: Who have you met over there that really captivated you with their story?

RG: Every Marine and Iraqi has a story: the Marine Colonel who was wounded in an ambush a few years ago and just finished his fourth tour of duty; the Marine who had his foot blown off by a land mine in Afghanistan, but he’ll only smile and say, “It’s just a scratch”; the former Iraqi soldier who refused to shoot at Americans when the war started; the Iraqi boy who could speak some English, but ran away when I pointed the camera at him. The list goes on and on.

OVM: How long are you gone from your family at a time?

RG: This is a one-year contract, but since my departure from Tucson television three years ago, I haven’t seen much of my family. Just looking at 2009, I will have spent about four weeks with my wife and daughters. We do the best we can. There are lots of phone calls and emails.

OVM: What does your family think of your assignment?

RG: I think my family copes better than I do! My wife and daughters understand journalism is my career and that can mean traveling or going to dangerous places.

OVM: Have you ever been in Iraq during the holidays?

RG: The first major holiday I spent in Iraq was this past July 4th. I was in Baghdad that day, covering a naturalization ceremony inside Al Faw Palace, one of the late Saddam Hussein’s former residences. Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the ceremony. I watched more than 150 U.S. military men and women raise their right hands and become U.S. citizens while serving in a foreign country.

OVM: How are you going to mark the Holidays this year being away from home?

RG: This will be the first Christmas I’ve spent away from [my family]. Christmas will be just another day. I'm sure there will be special church services and probably some really great food at the chow hall. Of course, I'll call home that day, if the telephone lines aren't too busy. I have a feeling that it will truly be the loneliest day.

OVM: Are you and your family still exchanging gifts this year?

RG: Yes, we'll be exchanging gifts. Thank goodness for the Internet and mail order.

OVM: Does your family send you care packages?

RG: My family's wonderful about sending care packages. I get the greatest letters a dad can ever hope for: hand-drawn with lots of pictures of hearts. My wife sends me books and treats because she knows how much I love to read.

OVM: Switching gears, how has this experience changed you?

RG: I used to be an aggressive Type A personality. Patience was not one of my virtues. I've completely changed. I'm much more optimistic and appreciative. I feel deep gratitude daily for my family and friends in Southern Arizona. Many people I've never met still keep in touch with me. It's very heartening and humbling. I've learned you can't blame anyone for your circumstances. They are yours. You own them and you make the best of what life gives you.

OVM: What will you remember most clearly about Iraq?

RG: What I'll remember most clearly is being here as the American military pulled out of the cities of Iraq at the end of June, but the only thing in the U.S. headlines was something about a reality show called Jon & Kate Plus Eight. That was news?!

OVM: What difference do you think you are making over there?

RG: That’s a good question. I certainly hope I’m making a difference by covering stories that aren’t being covered by the mainstream U.S. media. For example, I recently covered a historic ceremony for the last two Marine ground combat units to leave Iraq. Look at the role the Marines played in Operation Iraqi Freedom to bring security and opportunity to the Iraqi people, but only myself and an Army soldier were there to cover the event with a video camera. You didn’t see that story on CNN or FOX.

My biggest goal is to leave an accurate record of history as the U.S. Marines leave Iraq and the Al Anbar Province. In addition to broadcast and print reporting, I’m also working on a documentary that will cover the departure of the Marines and how they are leaving behind a footprint of peace. n

Keep up with Randy Garsee’s travels and reports through his blog at RandyGarsee.blogspot.com, or on his YouTube channel at YouTube.com/RandyGarsee.