Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
5:52 | When he landed in Iraq, Mike Pickrel felt like he was in a very unpleasant place. It was hot and it smelled bad. He was in a tight knit Cavalry unit which was immediately poached for manpower, so they would face their assignment shorthanded.
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It was the Movie Gung Ho! that instilled the desire to become a Marine in the young mind of Mike Pickrel. In 1995, at age 19, he enlisted and spent four years in the Corps. He was at Headquarters Battalion in Okinawa, then finished up his enlistment at Quantico. He wasn't done, all the knowledge he'd gained came in handy later.
After a four year stint in the Marine Corps, Mike Pickrel could get no traction as a civilian. The Marines wouldn't take him back, so he enlisted in the Army. Then came 9/11 and, like so many others, he was anxious to do something about it.
His first day in the field in Iraq, Mike Pickrel learned some valuable lessons. He learned not to drive up to a visible IED, he learned not to return by the same route and he learned not to talk to the locals or give them anything.
You learned the little things that helped you spot IED's. Mike Pickrel tells how he looked for them and how the Surge never really made it to where he was. No more boots on the ground there. He chafed at partnering with former insurgents and was angry when he finally got a chance to engage in a real firefight, but was withdrawn.
His second tour in Iraq was a waste of time to Mike Pickrel. Just sit in the base, pretty much. He has some observations on the enemies we face in these latest wars, on the men he served with who inspired him and on what servicemen need from their leadership and their government.
