Sgt Rebekah Spencer with Moe Lauzier

" Hey good morning welcome once again -- Saturday morning get together -- it is -- 7 o'clock hour I think tonight and every candidate. We discussed the issues of the day in every Saturday at 7 AM we have a guest from Baghdad 7 AM out there thank god for them. Because they're usually there're there are roughly on a nine to three work schedule Baghdad as I understand it."

" Joining us right -- Sargent Rebecca Spencer who's from Massachusetts and the National Guard she'd been in Baghdad now for quite a few months -- in my right gimme guys working nine to three day in you know full four days a week breakfast in bed all that stuff and but might describe your right."

" Pretty closer pretty close. -- in my office we work for we'll get up. Around 4:30 in the morning PP -- the office usually around 73745 in the morning and we leave anywhere between 5:30 in the evening and 8 o'clock at night so. And maybe a little bit longer than what you."

" I'm an -- was I right in the number of days you only have two or three or four days a week and --"

" Well you know again your clothes your clothes that actually seven days a week. However often we're we're given one day we have fact too slow days over the weekend and we'll treat our thoughts with other people to get a little down time."

" That's cool but can describe the release on -- like -- hours but. I don't happen to be a mother -- descriptive or we have a few kids who -- and who might. My bride went through not not not easy the -- a friend of ours lieutenant Philip venture suggested I -- about your New Year's Eve celebration are with for the failure New Year's Eve excitement."

" Yes one of the most exciting years I've ever led. We experienced -- celebratory fire. In a matter which I've never seen before we occasionally you know when people get married here. They fire their weapons well within two years many people are fired their weapons -- we have a lot of indirect fire coming into our camp and it was approximately twenty minutes long so last very loud. A bit -- laid low."

" Can be here bullets hit the roof and stuff like that."

" Depending on where you -- yes definitely is your them where I was I could hear them -- of -- concrete barriers we had one round hit the trailer right next to me -- personally know what was -- was injured --"

" Every time I've seen that type of demonstration and we see it's probably actually throw the world for for that matter. But the only placement of -- here in the United States thank god but when when you fire a weapon in the year what was at Tennessee and Tennyson months and I fire an arrow into the year and through the earth for all known that where it -- it. Yeah I should like AK 47 up in the air. Bullets gonna come down somewhere. Right a lot of gravity what goes out -- and they come down I'll losses that's as they went up. I mean at that point that you're getting into their lethal. In -- bullets falling to the ground from the height of maybe a half mile I've heard stories about pennies at one time in the where able to toss pennies off the side of the empire state building efforts third pennies sticking into the pavement down below so I can imagine with a pointed bullet which has an aerodynamic design that allows it to go even faster I can do anyhow right what is it what is your job that average your bio and you deal with in beds when should tell us a little bit about -- but did you eat that you do."

" Right I -- in a multinational force Iraq combined press information center the media and that noncommissioned officer in charge here. And any media the contested in coming into country they are -- and contacted our office -- at one point or another. And we processes their packets and help get them in country and and that it -- is the units. That have the story after it tested it and in writing about. And so we worked very closely with embassies different areas and I and I rack conflict counties. And there are public affairs officers in each one of those areas but we call and forwards packets to and we keep track of them answer in country. Their movement insure their safety. It's wait a busy job."

" Yeah this is this is something rather new for us I know was. It was the way it was in World War II that he had reporters with just about every unit in combat and many of them died in combat dislike our soldiers did especially in some of the invasions you know I guess like could have been pretty rough what does it in an embedded news person do today in the military unit."

" Well they go into the unit a lot of reporters coming in are very interested right now in the reconciliation. And they cover the story of the relationship between the different demands and local -- shakes and their efforts to bring stability. Two different regions with a do a fantastic job I've read a lot of the stories of reporters right. And they just stick to break coverage."

" Our guest this morning on a WRKO aside to Rebecca sponsorship with the Massachusetts National Guard has been quite a few years she was an active duty with the guard for three years and you're also volunteer teacher is that correct. When you're at home."

" Yes yes I am I volunteering in this surely school district. And -- therefore almost six months straight it started out. One agency to volunteer work in the library and a few months later they came and asked me to cover. A science class because I have some background in science and the next thing I knew I think in there every single day the great."

" I'll take advantage Giordano outlet. Where -- children in the school."

" Yes they are and did definitely you know helped with my relationship with them with the teachers and and understanding more what it was that they were going to run a daily basis and just being able to help children out in general is just fantastic but a lot of study groups going at the end of the day. For students to a fallen a bit behind and what's really proud of that work."

" Do any of our military people or any story earth and we have a lot of civilian employees in in Iraq stationed in Iraq to the present time. I do any of them ever get involved and things like classroom or maybe a an emergency room of the hospital -- things of this nature -- we we have lots of anomaly military people but we have a lot of civilian folks who was stationed with few in it in Iraq just wondering if any of them ever get the opportunity to it to be able to participate in the he classrooms -- in medical facilities such as emergency rooms and all."

" Over here yeah yes -- most recently we've had -- civilian dentist came over. And -- volunteer some time and it was working which is with meg com. And there are orphanages here in Baghdad and -- quite a few civilians. Who on there you know what they have time off. That's what they choose to do with their time off to go home into some of these places and help out as much as they can."

" I and by the way my interest in. Conducting these interviews all started with a fellow by the name of blue and gold he's now -- A marine sergeant major who's working stateside but he was based in Djibouti at the time. And his and ability English just outside of a of an orphanage in Djibouti -- we -- the name of the village but one day he and a another fellow were outside playing catch with a baseball each other gloves and you -- vault and thought. Doing what Americans do all the time next thing you know a couple of kids popped a piece of literally out of the woodwork next day the -- their next 56 kids. -- the day they went out there there were 1520 kids in the filing of the idea that you may be they do we can do something with these children ultimately they bought they built a mania. A ball field in the ultimate basketball court in some of our listeners along with other people around the country contributed an enormous amount of -- goods sporting goods and clothing and so on and so forth. And he's he admitted he was startle easily and that he had to leave. When he finally left him and he said that they were hundreds of kids. Ultimately they get involved in this that was amazing how you were able to communicate with them even though that was a language barrier that they."

" It's amazing myself as an out and and that quite quite if you the people who live in the local area and there are just fantastic and their two children met some of my friends. Mary Cooper her daughter Hannah and surely they get together with and other people. And my sister Elizabeth stayed at some boxes over for some of the children that I met here and they're wonderful and you do find a way of communicating just absolutely amazing really find it. Hard to describe how were able to do it but we will have full conversation. You be very slowly and point to things and a lot of laughing -- because we can be very painstaking process. Do you know find out sometimes the the other person's thing but it's so -- that the the people here are beautiful wonderful people who. Deserves to live in peace and I really hope -- what we can help print here."

" And disinterested in in the case in Djibouti here's here you have these Marines who are trained him in their job is. To kill people to break things and thought I mean of the -- war. About and here they -- you know building trying to create ball fields and basketball coach even have a golf course someone sent them about I don't know fifty square yards of after picture from the put -- they CK RO anything. They've built -- driving range. Fact wonderful benefit the hardest part was to keep the kids from running across that you BO with the where they were firing their golf ball let's they they're trying to cats them are now oh yeah gotti's that they were -- complicated but basically it with with really great and that they were. You know they were the the the Marines themselves were totally accepted and was with rather neat. He said it was an experience that he'd never had before he's been in combat a number of time he's been where you are they and he was and campers ago 41 in the -- never expected that all of a sudden he was going to be the good humor ambassador during his military career but that's essentially what he would when he became so your your finding some of the same experiences in the in Baghdad -- Now you're you have kids at home taking."

" I do I am -- to girl. Old there is fifteen and atom is fourteen yeah it's -- I do I speak with at least once a week my our returning officer very busy and there are schools so usually ends up being on the weekend and after months while. I call them. In the wee hours of the morning. They both passed on MySpace pages and I kept -- African music and it looks like there having. An awfully bad days column I'll call them in the morning maybe around 1 actually -- and -- and often talked and for a few minutes. And my -- Soviet and it really helps their data that are so as often as I can."

" Do you think -- listening right now."

" I hope so I know that my father's listening he's in Boston. Now Paul."

" Conversations starting about five or six weeks ago. Are stored in there so there have that there are in perpetuity much what would you like to say the kids right now."

" an adamant -- so much I think about you all the time keep doing well in school and all the embassies and visibly label -- he -- couple loved it he's very good and he's also he started karate a few months ago and he has his second green stripe. He tested out for that two weeks ago. Cool the enmity their plays the bass guitar she's fantastic and she's things also and she is studying bioengineering."

" In high school. Wow yes she is -- added -- out. I mean I -- as Isaac TO frog was advanced science. I was with an -- father. Her father -- again and well okay let that explains it genes from me also I think he does well."

" The sergeant it's awfully good talking to this morning I appreciate you coming on my best to everyone in in Baghdad the -- have been guests on this program and I guess that numbers pretty high by now and like I said you're the program will be of this portion of this program will be available. On the WRKO audio vault sometime over the weekend some as a producer -- Clear himself of this it was his idea to do these things by the way. Retain about attitude about it just don't take about it did yes he stood up one hand in front went in the back to click on the stage thank you so much. Sergeant Spencer you're nice lady good luck to you. Please be safe and thank you for your service thank you thank. -- army Sargent Rebecca Spencer from Massachusetts who are serving in the Baghdad fears seem very high in that's good to see you fear youngsters were listening I think they get to hear mommy you know a very good frame of mind and can forward to coming home"