Pitt student returns after serving tour of duty in Iraq, Kuwait

“Surreal” – that’s how Col. John Schneider described returning to Pittsburgh after eight… “Surreal” – that’s how Col. John Schneider described returning to Pittsburgh after eight months of duty in Kuwait and Iraq.

Schneider, whose senior year at Pitt was interrupted when he was called to active duty, returned to his home in Pittsburgh on the morning of Sept. 17.

“A week ago, there were sandstorms in my eyes and I was in 110 degree weather,” Schneider recalled. “Now I am here with friends, green trees, running water. It’s very surreal.”

When Schneider, a marine reservist, left for a weekend drill in January, he “had a feeling” a call to duty was coming soon.

That weekend, a military official called his home to tell his family that he had indeed been activated.

Schneider arrived in Kuwait on Feb. 12, and five weeks later, President George W. Bush formally declared war on Iraq.

Schneider’s unit served as military police. In front of him were the “grunts” – the front line soldiers – and a medical convoy.

His unit was responsible for providing security for those ahead of them and transferring Enemy Prisoners of War to British intelligent units.

According to Schneider, his unit’s biggest fear was the Iraqi regime’s reported chemical weapons.

“That was always hanging over our heads,” he said.

Though they never actually faced chemical weapons, the men in Schneider’s unit were often caught in heavy gunfire. At one point, they faced mortar fire for more than four hours.

Schneider said the people of Iraq were “ecstatic” when they saw coalition troops.

“There was a lot of celebration,” he said. “Every day was like being in a parade.”

One encounter particularly touched Schneider.

“This old woman came up to me and said, ‘Thank you for giving us freedom.’ It felt really good,” he added.

Schneider also had an encounter with a protest mob.

“The translator told us they were shouting ‘U.S. get out.’ I was kind of pissed off,” he said. “But then I realized that they were protesting against what is now their government. They were able to do this because of us. It put things in perspective.”

After the fall of Baghdad, Schneider’s unit oversaw the transportation of oil that Kuwait had donated to try to aid in the restoration of Iraq. During this time, the marines in his unit began to complain about their situation, he added.

“On the missions, no one complained,” he said. “But you get tired of being there.”

“It’s the little things you appreciate,” he added. “I didn’t miss my car or TV, but I missed running water, a roof over my head and a working toilet.”

At the beginning of September, Schneider found out that after eight months, he would finally get to come home.

Schneider said he plans to complete his degree in administration of justice next spring, but he added that he would gladly undergo another tour of duty, if needed.

“If Korea breaks out, I’m ready to do what we have to do,” he said.

According to Schneider, the United States was in the right concerning the invasion of Iraq.

“We may have not found any weapons of mass destruction, but people [in Iraq] were scared,” he said. “They had been threatened with weapons of mass destruction.”

“We have political interests wherever we go but our policies favor humanitarianism,” he added. “We are going to do good.”