"Det svåraste är att se vänner dö"

Elitsoldaten Rick, 25, chattade direkt från Irak

Om man inte är rädd för att dö så är man galen.
  Det säger elitsoldaten Rick Selvester i en chatt direkt från en USA-bas i Irak.
  - Det svåraste är att se vänner dö. Jag tycker själv att vi inte borde invaderat Irak, men folk här säger att de är glada att vi finns. Så jag har ändrat mig lite.
  Och hade han haft pengar så hade han inte valt armén utan college.

Elitsoldaten Rick Selvester, 25, chattade med aftonbladet.se:s läsare.

Foto: MATS STRAND

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Exklusivt på aftonbladet.se:

   Moderator säger: Obs! Ställ frågorna på engelska! (Please ask the questions in English)

  Rick Selvester säger: Hello, you can start asking now!

  johannes säger: how long have you been a soldier?

  Rick Selvester säger: I've been in the US Army for 8 years.

  ANT säger: For howe long are you in Irak?

  Rick Selvester säger: Im here for a one year deployment. And I'm six months into it, got six months left.

  Linnéa säger: What are the worst things about beeing in Iraq? Except for that you miss your family.

  Rick Selvester säger: The loss of friends is a big one, to see them die. And the living conditions of the iraqi people. And the poverty level.

  John säger: What's the most dramatic thing that has happened to you in Iraq?

  Rick Selvester säger: That's a hard one. There's a lot of options. People getting killed. We lost a really good guy, a happy guy. He was killed in december in Falluja.

  Olle J säger: Hi Rick, I just wanna ask you if you think the US presence in Irak is making the iraki people safer, and what do you think will happen if your troops leave?

  Rick Selvester säger: I absolutely believe we are making it safer for them. If we pull out now, there will be a civil war. I just think we should stay here until they are stronger as a people. The people need to come together as iraqis.

  Filip säger: Arent you afraid to die each day?

  Rick Selvester säger: Yes. If you're not afraid to die, you're crazy. You just get used to it.

  Vlado säger: What do u think of George Bush? Is he a good president?

  Rick Selvester säger: He is my commander in chief, so I automatically approve of what he says.

  Catrin säger: If you had the economic means to go to college at the age of 18 would you still have enlisted as a soldier?

  Rick Selvester säger: No. I would have gone to college.

  Erik säger: now, 4 years from the invasion, do you believe invading Iraq was the right thing to do? were there any other options at your disposal that would've been better to use?

  Rick Selvester säger: It's a great question - and a big question. Personally, no, I don't think it was the right thing to do. But I hear the people where I'm stationed at here in Iraq are happy that we are here. And hearing that every day changes my mind a little bit. I'm glad we came.

  johan säger: Hi Rick!
  was the military service in iraq as you'd expected, or was something totally different?

  Rick Selvester säger: No, I expected it. I've been to Afghanistan twice, so i knew what the deal was gonna be.

  Kanga säger: Alot of people in the world today thinks USA is automatically putting themselfs as THE nr 1 country. What do you think gives US the right of acting as a "world police"?

  Rick Selvester säger: I belive somebody has to do it. In the big picture. To me as a soldier, we are here because a tyrant was causing terror. But I do belive we put our fingers in others peoples business too much. We intrude in others peoples business too much, we have worries of our own in the US and should concentrate on that.

  isabelle säger: what would you like to do when you get home - continue as a soldier?

  Rick Selvester säger: I have a few more years on my contract, so I'm gonna be a soldier for a while. But then I'm gonna start a family with my wife. I have two children and I would like to have another one. And I'm gonna go to college.

  jb säger: what do you know about sweden?

  Rick Selvester säger: I knew very little about Sweden. To be polite, I went on the internet last night. And wow, you have a tought language. But I know one word now, "hej", and I know the name of your king, and I know you have only 9 million people. And I know you love your country.

  Johan säger: I've heard that it's been complains about the equipments that you use in Iraq, do you agree with that?

  Rick Selvester säger: I complain about my equipent a lot. But I can't talk for anyone else. But we have amazing equipment really, very advanced. One very useful thing is the body armour we have. It's heavy but it's saved a lot of lives. The only thing is it's heavy.

  Danny säger: What are mainly the reactions you meet from the civilian population?

  Rick Selvester säger: Appreciation. The people in my area, where I operate, really like us a lot. Especially the children.

  Joakim säger: What weapon du you have??

  Rick Selvester säger: I have a standard issue M4. And a pistol, US military 9 mm.

  Caroline säger: Have you yourself killed anybody, or have you seen anybody get killed?

  Rick Selvester säger: I skip the first one, but the second: Yes. I've had my fair share.

  Pelle säger: Is Iraq going to be a better and safer place for its people in three months time?

  Rick Selvester säger: No, three months is a short time. I don't belive so.

  Jonky88 säger: For how much longer do you personally think that U.S will stay in Iraq?

  Rick Selvester säger: The way things are going right now in the press, it looks like maybe a year. But I hope we won't be here much longer.

  J-dog säger: Have your views on the army and war in general changed since you joined the army as an 18-year old?

  Rick Selvester säger: No. This is a different type of war, not a conventional war. The enemy does not wear uniform, so that makes it really difficult for us. And war might be scarry, but it's extremely exciting.

  gontish säger: are you in combat everyday?

  Rick Selvester säger: No. I've only had a few encounters since I've came. Mostly it's policework. We don't really see much insurgency on a daily basis. It comes in like squirts. It's random.

  Chris säger: which is your favorite weapon?

  Rick Selvester säger: Wow... ouch... The 50 caliber. It's a machine gun. And I like my 9 mm, because it's small and handy.

  Christopher säger: Hi Rick! How is the weather down there right now? Keep up the good work!!

  Rick Selvester säger: Thank you. And the weather is beautiful. It gorgeous here, not hot, not cold, doesn't rain a lot. I love the weather right now.

  Litzooth säger: what do you do when you're not in combat?

  Rick Selvester säger: I lift weights and go to the gym - and play video games. That's pretty much it. There isn't that much to do.

  mike säger: How do you communicate with your family?

  Rick Selvester säger: They have really great phones AT&T-phones. And I use the internet, we send e-mails.

  Penny säger: How many girls is it in Iraq from USA?

  Rick Selvester säger: I cant speak for any other place than where I am, and here we have only a few female soldiers. Less than a dozen.

  avqto säger: You see the war for real, do you think it's helping the Iraks? Do you think you do the rigth thing?

  Rick Selvester säger: I think we are giving the iraqis a chance that they never had before. We are giving them the opportunity to be free, and freedom is the greatest thing you can have. And we are giving them the chance of that.

  Moderator säger: And that's the last question... Thank you Rick, and everybody who participated and asked questions.