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Doug Grindle ReportingTonight we conclude our weeklong series on soldiers of the Utah National Guard serving in Iraq. The soldiers have to cope with long work hours, being away form their families and austere conditions, but as our correspondent Doug Grindle reports, life in Iraq also has a few compensations.
Most soldiers from the 222nd field artillery live bunched together. Privacy is at a premium. Thirteen men live in an area, but each man has his own space.
Spc Bevin Jones, Cedar City, UT: "This is my bed and where I keep all my stuff and my stuff here on the shelf. We share this space up here. Kind of messy, wires running everywhere."
This base is shelled regularly by insurgents with mortars and rockets.
Spc Jeremy Jones, Cedar City, UT: "There are a bunch of windows. They are dark now because we had to put up sandbags. We can't have mortars or rockets get in here.
Most of the soldiers from Utah live in accommodations like these. They are protected against mortars and rockets and they are even more protected by their thick walls.
The soldiers work whatever hours are necessary, between eight hours and 18 hours a day. But they get time off to use a well-equipped gym or easy Internet and phone access.
Spc Jared Lowry, Beaver, UT: "We come here every day. It's the only thing to do. We have a weight room. Or we could sit and watch a movie, but I'd rather be more active than that.
This is the rainy season and the base at Ramadi is filled with mud. But soldiers say while the physical conditions are annoying, the thing they care about the most is missing their families.
Spc Jeremy Jones: "It's tough missing your family, being apart from my wife. She does not like it and I don't like being apart. You get over it and get through get home."
