Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:37 | Getting a medical evacuation in Iraq was cathartic but he managed to recover and had a good team behind him to save his life. Returning home was a real challenge as he had to cope with everything that had happened.
Keywords : Pentagon injured Medevac Shrapnel injured difficult helicopter emergency wife returning home distance alcohol Silver Star
Understanding how the military operated while stationed in Kosovo became essential for Tommy Rieman and it gave him a good first step towards future deployments. Deciding to re-enlist and go to Germany was a very exciting next step for him.
During 9/11, Tommy Rieman was on guard waiting to act if necessary, which they ended up having to do for a training mission. Deploying to Iraq was a transition after his time in Kosovo but they were prepared to do whatever they needed to do.
Getting dropped off in a Landing Zone was nerve-wracking for Tommy Rieman and his company. Patrolling the area was dangerous but they had proper protocol to keep themselves safe.
After a mission, Tommy Rieman and his company also took time to debrief with each other and other members of the Army. When they returned to Kuwait, they reached a deal with a UAV company to get a ride back to their unit. They ended up surveilling the Iraq-Iran border where there was lots of activity.
Out on a surveillance mission, Tommy Rieman and his company faced IEDs and RPGs that ended up wounding him and killing some of his friends. After the Quick Reaction Force was able to extract them, he was able to recover from his injuries and enjoy one of the first hot meals since he was deployed.
A unique opportunity, Tommy Rieman was asked to be the model and main character of America's Army, a video game dedicated to depicting American service. Touring around the country representing the game was good for him.
