The+Boy+Scout+Soldiers

What does it mean to be a soldier in the Armed Forces in America?
 * Essential Question:**

To find out how soldiers are viewed in society and how it has affected their lives.
 * Challenge:**

How has being in the Armed Forces affected your family and friends? Do people look at you differently than a normal person because you are in the Armed Forces? Has being in the Armed Forces make you think of yourself differently?
 * Guiding Questions:**

- Interview an active or veteran soldier of the Armed Forces. - A survey: Ask people "Do respect a soldier any different from a normal American citizen? Other than fighting in the war, do you look up to an American soldier? Do you think American soldiers have different privileges than everyday citizens? Do you feel families in our area are affected by having family members in the war?" to see if they treat soldiers differently. - Online research about soldiers and the war
 * Guiding Activities:**

Survey: Do you respect a soldier any different from a normal American citizen? 93% say yes Other than fighting in the war, do you look up to an American soldier? 77% say yes Do you think American soldiers have different privileges than everyday citizens? 40% say yes Do you feel families in our area are affected by having family members in the war? 70% say yes
 * Guiding Resources:**

Online Article: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/21/a_soldiers_story_war_affects_whole_family/ Ryan Kahlor is a United States soldier who has returned from two tours in Iraq. While he was there one of his best friends was killed by a sniper, and Ryan had to go retrieve the gear off of his body. He survived multiple roadside bombing attempts. His parents had to send him a hand-held GPS system because the one the military issued him was not working. When he returned he immediately showed symptoms of PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and traumatic brain injury. He carried a loaded gun everywhere, and drank himself asleep at night. He cut himself, and he burned his skin with cigarettes. His parents were obviously concerned, and they sent him to San Diego Naval Medical Center. He is responding well to treatment, and he speaks with other people diagnosed with PTSD. Ryan said,"I'd be sitting in a dark room somewhere, or dead." His father joined Military Families Speak Out, which is a group that is opposed to the Iraqi war. As a whole, the war in Iraq affects not only the soldier, but everyone who is connected to the returning soldier.

Interview: 1.)How has being in the National Guard affected your family and friends? A: There are many advantages for serving our Nation in the National Guard. I have traveled around the world a met great people from all cultures. If it had not been for the National Guard I would not have had this opportunity. The negative side of serving the Nation is the time spent away from home. I have missed many birthdays, family gatherings, etc during my two deployments to Iraq and other short tours overseas.

2.)How do people treat you when they know you are in the National Guard? Do they treat you differently than a normal citizen? A: For the most part, people respect service members. Some people may not support going to war, but what I have found is that they do support the service members honoring their commitment to serve the Nation.

3.)How do you feel about protecting your country and being a soldier? A: I have been in the military for 24 years and am proud of serving the Nation. I have been to Iraq twice and have met great people along the way. Also, I have traveled to Countries like, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Nicaragua, and Honduras in support of a specific mission.

4.)How do people in the countries that we are at war with look at you? A: I could speak on my experiences in Iraq. For the most part, the Iraqi people respect people in uniform. They know we are there to assist them in their desire to become an independent democratic society. Service members understand their culture and that is important. I feel that understanding one’s culture is the important lesson in developing mutual trust and respect for each other.

5.)How do you feel about yourself knowing that you are fighting for America’s freedom? A: It is extremely gratifying to serve this great Nation. Service members sacrifice a great deal while protecting the Nation at home and abroad. The sacrifices made are difficult but in the end very rewarding. I have been blessed with a family that supports my desire to continue to serve and protect this great Nation.

6.)Have you learned anything from being in the National Guard? A: Yes. I have learned a great deal. The most important aspect that I have learned is following the Army Values. There are seven Army Values. L: Leadership D: Duty R: Respect S: Self-less Service H: Honor I: Integrity P: Personal Courage

You can see from these values that the acronym spells out Leadership (missing one letter). That is what we inspire in all of our Soldiers.

7.)How has being on the battlefield affected you in your everyday life? A: I have been blessed with having good people that I have worked with and that worked for me. My experiences on the Battlefield have been positive. I worked with two Iraqi Mayors in the Basra Province. They worked hard to make life better for their constituents. We supported them by helping them build schools, agricultural centers, and roads, drill wells and purify their water and many other projects that we have here at home.

8.)Has being in the National Guard made you look at life any different? A: Yes it has. Traveling the world has made me better appreciate what we have in the United States and the opportunities out there for everyone. We sometimes take for granted simple things like having clean drinking water. Many other Countries don’t even have that. By traveling you see what others do not have and you tend to look at thing differently than before. If it were not for the National Guard and all that I have seen, been a part of, encountered, I would not be the person I am today. I feel good about all of the experiences that I have encountered over my 24 years of Service.

Answers compiled by LTC Mark Piterski (New Jersey Army National Guard). Cell number: 609-847-0973 Email address: mark.piterski@us.army.mil

Solution/Action First we came up with an essential question. The question was "What does it mean to be a soldier in the Armed Forces in America?" we wanted to find out how people treat soldiers, how friends and family are effected, and how they feel about being a soldier. we took a survey of several questions and asked 5 different classes. we also interview a member of the national guard to see if he is respected differently and how it has affected his family and friends. another thing we did was found an article online about a soldier being affected by the war and how his father has to deal with and help his son. finally we but all the information together and came out with this conclusion. Through our survey that we presented to five different classes we found the following conclusions. We found 93% of the students said that they respect soldiers then normal American citizens. we also found 77% percent of students say they would still look up to an American soldier even if there was not a war but because they are serving our country. 70% of the students said that families in Bergen County are effect by the war. The article that we found online showed that the war affects the soldiers fighting in it and their family members. The article was about Ryan Kahlor who is a soldier in the American army. Ryan saw his friend get shot by a sniper, which left him with post traumatic stress disorder. Post traumatic stress disorder is a mental disease that causes people who have it to be extremely depressed. He went to the San Diego Medical Center to seek psychiatric help. He has responded very well and is doing much better than he was when he returned from Iraq. Soldiers friends and families are affected by them being in the war whether you know it or not. Just like how Ryan's father is affected from his medical condition. Soldiers are definitely respected and looked up to in America by citizens. Even though soldiers are respected, many people don't do anything to help them. People are not always willing to send supplies overseas when soldiers are fighting for our freedom every day. There are many organizations that will help you contribute to the armed forces whether its sending supplies overseas or donating money for soldiers who have been traumatized from the war.