Army Captain Michael Ross '95 arrived in Kuwait with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment on April 4 and did not "cross the burm" into Iraq until three weeks later. "So I luckily don't have many war stories," says Ross, who graduated from West Point in 1999 and is now a helicopter pilot and platoon leader. "Most people that I know don't want any, and those that do wish they didn't." Instead, the stories he has to share are of the occupation and the war's increasingly uneasy aftermath.

Now that the war has concluded, what do your duties consist of?
Some members of the public may be wondering what we're doing over here if combat operations have been declared over. I wish that were the case. While the war began back in March as one between two armies and two easily distinguishable forces, it has transformed into a conflict based on guerilla tactics. Coalition forces were fighting against the Iraqi regime and its uniformed Iraqi soldiers. Now coalition forces are targeted by those still loyal to Saddam, or at least, still very much anti-American.

In our area of operations, conflicts have drastically intensified and the area has become considerably more dangerous. During our first month at Al Asad Air Force Base, which is located about 100 miles west-northwest of Baghdad, it seemed as if we had missed everything. However, Iraqi militants were merely observing us and noting our routines. On Memorial Day, another squadron's convoy departed Al Asad and was ambushed eight miles north of our base. Our helicopters were launched as part of the recovery effort and used to evacuate the casualties. One major was killed and another soldier injured by rocket-propelled grenade fire. Since then, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment elements have been attacked every night. Even though the attacks are not well organized, soldiers are still being wounded and killed. It's difficult to explain to families that their loved ones were killed in a war that some people assume is over.

What kind of contact have you had with the Iraqi people? How have you and other members of your unit been received?
The day I flew into Iraq I'll always remember as one of the greatest in my career to date. In the rural areas of the country, it was almost like traveling back to biblical times: the people have irrigated their farms from the same ancient wells for generations. To see entire families run out of their homes waving and genuinely celebrating our arrival was awesome. At that time, I began to believe that the entire nation was ready to welcome us. I ordered my crew chiefs to wave rather than man their machine guns, because I didn't want to foster ill feelings among those who were uneasy at our presence.

But as we moved closer to cities, where Saddam Hussein's propaganda was more effective, the people didn't seem to receive us as readily. While some Iraqis want nothing more than to shake our hands and thank us for liberating them (just as portrayed on the cover of Newsweek), I've had children throw rocks towards my helicopter and women curse my existence. I want to trust them and extend the hand of friendship, but because I have to worry about the safety of my platoon and my aircrew, I can't.

My direct contact with the Iraqis has been limited to two encounters. The first came when I was flying a team of Army engineers to assess a bombed bridge that had been hit by one of our precision guided munitions. (It's amazing to see the effectiveness and accuracy of our "smart bombs" firsthand.) The bridge crossed an asphalt road, and those are few and far between. So when it came time to decide between the desert dust and the asphalt as a landing zone for myself and our Apache escort, the choice was simple. Little did I know that the road was a major north-south thoroughfare for Iraqi drivers as well as for sheep and camel herders. So I spent the next two hours directing traffic around our aircraft. We represented something that the Iraqi people are very afraid of, which was a weird experience for me.

My second encounter is one that I wouldn't do a second time knowing what I know now. During a combined maintenance test flight and photo recon, I was riding in back of one of our Black Hawk helicopters, escorting a military photographer. During the recon, the pilots spotted an Iraqi parked along the side of the road selling black market Coca-Cola, and more importantly, ice. So naturally we landed. I hopped out, ran up to the Iraqi man and began to barter while the aircraft sat there on the side of the road. The most surprising thing was that the Iraqi man could tell me how much he wanted in U.S. dollars for the Coke and wasn't willing to budge, but when presented with the money he didn't know what it was. So I bought 150 Cokes and three bocks of ice for the rest of my troop. Given the heightened threat and increasing intelligence reports supporting the intention to shoot down a helicopter, I wouldn't land on the side of an Iraqi road again. The learning curve is exponential over here. The things one will do for an ice-cold Coke in the desert.

Prior to the start of the war, there was considerable debate at home and abroad about its necessity, its cost, even its outcome. What were you own feelings at the time?
I have never questioned the "justness" of this war. West Point engrained in me the motto of "Duty, Honor, Country," and I believe it is the duty of those in the profession of arms to answer when our nation calls. While we are not the brainwashed warmongers who follow orders without question that some people may believe us to be, the military is a means to a political end, and I do not feel it is my place to question the decisions made by our leaders, echelons above me, with more information and resources than I can begin to fathom. If I ever felt that an order given by a senior officer was recklessly or irresponsibly placing the lives of my subordinates in harm's way, I would then question their intentions. I am sure there have been some heated discussions around the Harkness Table that I would love to have been a part of.

To see, firsthand, how Saddam Hussein built lavish shrines to his own perceived greatness while the majority of the nation lived impoverished and oppressed lives leaves me with little question as to whether or not he should have remained in power. No matter what the reason or motivation for our involvement over here or the outcome of our search for WMD evidence, I believe the Iraqi people as a whole are better off for our involvement. I feel that most people lived in legitimate fear of his tyrannical rule.