“Has it been a month already?”

Maj. Serhiy PONOMAR, chief of the military police unit of the 51st DMB (age 35):

“It’s the first time we have performed military police duty on foreign territory. It took us some time to get used to the climate and specifics of our work. American soldiers from the military police company were a big help. They taught us many useful things. Meanwhile, today the results of our work suggest that we have outperformed them. Here in Iraq I learned for the first time that Iraqi weddings culminate in disorderly salvos fired into the air. We must always be ready to intervene, lest the celebration should escalate into a massacre. I keep thinking about my mother. Each time there is a report on casualties, I call home to tell my kin I’m fine.”

Capt. Ihor DZIUBA, officer of the brigade command reconnaissance department (age 34):

“The specifics of our work require us to analyze, forecast, and immediately respond to events as they unfold. This determines the success of what we are doing. Meanwhile, we have to devote nearly 80% of our time to doing paperwork and preparing reports to superiors. And there is one more thing. Before the command reacts to our proposals based on the intelligence we have gathered, we lose track of really dangerous subjects. But this can’t be helped. Thus we have to adapt ourselves to such conditions. This month we tracked down twelve individuals, of whom four are real cutthroats.”

Lt. Col. Volodymyr BIHUN, chief of the operative department of the 5th DMB (age 36):

“Nothing on this mission is more distressing than doing a huge amount of paperwork and preparing reports. Many of them are of doubtful importance. I get the impression that they are required to justify the necessity of somebody’s high post in the multinational headquarters. Many reports overlap. Such are the requirements. This way I learned firsthand what the foreign bureaucratic machinery is all about. Apparently, these are NATO standards.

“I was most impressed during my visit to the ruins of Babylon, which are a stone’s throw from the multinational division headquarters. I saw the cradle of civilization, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In fact, it is an enormous labyrinth that has lasted to this day. I had heard a lot about it, but finally I could touch the walls of living history.”

Sgt. Yury ILNYTSKY, chief mechanic of the maintenance platoon (age 24):

“Getting used to local conditions didn’t take long. Almost nothing astonished me. I thought it would be much worse in Iraq. There is not much free time, and for this reason I didn’t notice as the month slipped by. I’m most of all worried about my parents. I always call to say everything’s all right. I’ll be fine as long as they are. I’m still young, everything is still ahead of me.”

Sgt. Vasyl KOSHER, deputy commander of the commandant’s platoon (age 27):

“Compared to Lebanon, where I served half a year on a mission, it’s much harder in Iraq. But here the telephone connection is much better. In Lebanon we had to wait in line until after midnight to call our relatives. Meanwhile, here everything is very simple. You buy a card and use a pay phone for as long as you like. “In Simferopol I left my wife and little son. His photo hangs above my bed. When I come back from patrol, the first thing I see is his smile, and it brings back moments when we were together. I often dream of my family. I miss them, but I still plan to serve in Iraq for a year.”

Sgt. Serhiy KALAIDA, driver and cryptographer of the 51st DMB (age 26):

“Has it been a month already? Time flies. You even don’t feel it. Perhaps there’s too much work, and you don’t even see the days fly by. “The scorching heat was the most unexpected thing for me. This is something you only hear about on television. Here I experienced what it feels like myself. But I’ve got used to the heat and don’t mind it anymore. Moreover, with the coming of the fall the temperature dropped to 38 degrees Celsius.

“I and my friends chipped in to buy a television. We try not to miss any news reports, especially those from Ukraine. As soon as we hear something about Iraq and — God forbid — casualties, this is a signal for us to rush to the phone and call our kin to tell them we’re OK. We worry about our folks, maybe even more than they worry about us.”

Private Kostiantyn BULAVA, machine gunner of the 52nd DMB (age 22):

“You know, it’s much easier here than I expected. It’s just that I prepared myself for various hardships like the heat, patrols, and administrative tasks of bringing the base camp in order. However, time flies imperceptibly, like an arrow. “Whenever I can, I call my parents at home, as well as my girlfriend Viktoriya, who is a student of the Poltava Agrarian Academy. We might get married on my return. Meanwhile, I have to earn some cash and return home safe and sound.”

2nd Lt. Olena BEZUSHENKO, translator of Arabic at the liaison department of the 5th DMB command (age 26):

“I’m not a military person, and I’ve found many new and unusual things in the military environment. However, my first month in Iraq as a military interpreter passed almost imperceptibly. Moreover, I quickly adapted to the new environment. “My work is extremely rewarding, for I see its positive results. It’s gratifying when my knowledge of Arabic helps solve problems of the locals in the Wasit province, which is the zone of responsibility of our peacekeeping force. In particular, I interpret for our military doctors, who provide medical aid to the local population, as well as for military lawyers, and the guys in the liaison department, who are helping to revive the justice system and infrastructure in this postwar country.

“Surprisingly, I got used to the military way of life quite quickly. I didn’t expect anything of the kind from myself as a civilian and, moreover, a university teacher. Everything turned out much simpler and easier.”