Soldier loves protecting his country

PFC Frank Kocher is a 23 year old soldier from Dallas, Pennsylvania. He has been in Iraq, fighting for our country, since December 13th, 2008. Although his name is Frank, everyone calls him "Buddy." Buddy is one of the most loveable, upstanding gentlemen to ever come out of Dallas, and the perfect person to be out there supporting and fighting for our country. Statistics show that one in five Iraq veterans return home seriously impaired by post-traumatic stress disorder. Even if soldiers come home without this disorder, they will still return troubled with experiences they will never forget.

Buddy's job title is a Combat Engineer, and he specializes in explosives. "My job here is Route Clearance. We patrol the streets in the city and sometimes roads outside the city, looking for IED's: "Improvised Explosive Devices," also known as roadside bombs, and the guys who put them out." Their main focus is to find the bombs and those people so the other units that go outside the base there or "outside the wire" can travel freely without having to worry about getting hit by an explosion. "I'm not positive. but pretty sure, that IED's are the number one cause of death and injury here in Iraq and Afghanistan," Buddy said.

The city that Buddy and his crew patrol is called Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, and it is parted by the Tigris River. Buddy and his team became very close friends while being in Iraq. "The bond we all have is unimaginable. We've been with each other every day for almost two years," Buddy said. "When I get on that plane to come home knowing it is all over, I hope I have everyone I came here with by my side, going home as well."

"We drive around in armored trucks called MRAP's, pronounced M-Raps; tt stands for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected. My job on the patrols is to gun a 50-caliber machine gun mounted on top of the vehicle, looking for snipers, insurgents throwing grenades, putting roadside bombs out, etc. When we find the IED's, those of us specializing in explosives can call the bomb squad, or blow the IED up ourselves so it can't be used against us," Buddy said as he explained more about his job description.

During his time over in Iraq, Buddy was able to come home for 15 days. He got to relax, spend time with family and friends, and tried to see as many people as possible. "It didn't feel weird coming home. It felt very strange being in a car and driving though," Buddy said. "Coming home was a really great feeling, but in the back of your mind you know you have to go back in 15 days." Buddy also was not used to getting as much sleep as he does when he comes home. "Not having a weapon with me 24/7 was also very different," said Buddy.

Most of the jobs Buddy and his troop have to do in Iraq are very dangerous because they can easily be seen and caught or killed. The worst experience Buddy ever had in Iraq happened about mid-October of this year when he and his crew were driving around and were hit by a large IED. It threw their truck about four or five feet in the air. Buddy was knocked unconscious, almost being ejected from the truck, and landed on his back. "The truck commander was shaking my leg and screaming to wake me up. My body shook for hours afterward," Buddy said. "They found pieces of our truck hundreds of feet away. Five days later, I was back out doing it again."

Buddy is a very proud soldier and loves to fight for his country. "I would definitely do it again if I had the chance. I feel accomplished knowing people are safe because of me. I feel like I can make a difference," Buddy said. "I'm not only doing it for my country; I go out and do my job for the guys I'm here with because if I didn't go out, and someone got hurt or killed, I'd have that guilt on me for the rest of my life. I feel like I can prevent that." Buddy Kocher is safe and gets to come back home to Pennsylvania very soon, and can't wait to see his family and friends.

Allison Snyder is a fifth-year student majoring in Professional Studies with a minor in Journalism. She can be reached at AS613905 @wcupa.edu.