On March 10th, Roman Gelman, a Sophomore marketing major here at the University of Maryland, received a phone call. He was told he had a few days to take care of any personal matters and then ship out to help in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He reported to the military base in Aberdeen, Maryland for training and preparation.

The war in Iraq has had an impact on students at this campus and campuses nationwide in a variety of ways. Some voiced their opposition to the war, like on the fifth of March, when nearly five hundred students walked out of class to demonstrate their anti-war stance, while counter-demonstrators voiced their support. As some students paraded around the campus, chanting loudly against or for President Bush and the war, thousands of others around the country like Roman had to withdraw from class and end their daily routines to serve their country.

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Roman came to the United States as a child. He grew up in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, where he successfully finished high school, participating in wrestling, football and many other athletic activities.

In May of 2000, Roman joined the U.S. Army. Now, at age 20, he has five years of military duty remaining. He joined the Army to experience something that only a few people have. He wanted to serve his country. He desires to contribute all that he can to preserve the American way of life, of which his family traveled to this nation to experience. In addition, he appreciates having the dignity, honor and pride of serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Roman was taking sixteen credits when he was ordered to withdraw from classes and mobilize for a possible deployment. Currently, he is just two credits shy of the University limit of credits that a student is allowed to retake. When he returns, Roman might not be able to withdraw from any other classes during his final two and a half years at Maryland due to reaching his limit. He has no knowledge if there will be any accommodations for his special circumstance. In spite of this complication, he receives many benefits to serving in the military as a college student. The Army Reserve and National Guard pay school tuition.

The training in the military is intense. After arriving at Aberdeen, Roman had to review everything he had already learned in basic and continue doing more concentrated individual training. But his hard work has paid off. He is now a Sergeant, and has collected a multitude of awards, including honors for his expertise as a rifleman, special assault weapon (SAW) gunner, and grenade throwing skills. The training is not limited to physical performances alone. It also involves a lot of overall education, doggedness and dedication. When asked what he thought was the role of the U.S. military today, he answered that “it is to defend the God-given human rights of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Armed Forces stationed in Iraq currently face extreme conditions. Although the major fighting has been declared over, real dangers persist for the American soldiers who remain there. Soldiers are getting hurt almost everyday from either accidents or by those who refuse to let the United States rebuild Iraq.

Asked if he thinks his life is worth the cause of fighting this war right now, Roman responded, “I sign my life away by defending this country and by following the commands of the President when he decides on what the orders are. So basically, yes.”

When asked what he feels is the role of the U.S. military in rebuilding Iraq and what part he may play in that, he said, “In my opinion the role of the U.S. military in rebuilding Iraq is to assist the Iraqi people to regain control of their country that was unjustifiably taken away from them many years ago. In saying that, some of the roles that the U.S. military might play is in assisting the law enforcement agencies [in Iraq] to regain control, training them how to do it, and making sure that the new government functions and operates. And then to get out of there as soon as possible [in order to allow] the Iraqi people to govern themselves.”

As of now it looks like there is a possibility Roman might not be deployed to Iraq after all, as many military personnel are already being recalled back home. His current location of assignment is Aberdeen Maryland, and it will continue to be there until further notice. But he can be sent to help support the peace-keeping process at any moment.

The communications that the military offers to help keep in touch with loved ones back home depend on the mission and the availability of postal services and email accessibility. E-mail is an option, but it is dependent on the mission, whether the soldiers are allowed to write home. Nonetheless, if the circumstances permit as they are now, Roman will be able to correspond with family and friends freely.

After his mobilization is over, Roman will be looking forward to going back to school. He says finishing school is his number one priority. He also looks forward to finishing up his obligations with the military and becoming an influential figure in tomorrow’s society. His future goals include continuing to serve his country. He hopes that one day he can fulfill his desire to run for the U.S. Senate.