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TAMPA, Fla. - A Spring Hill soldier and a dog he adopted in Iraq have been reunited.

NickPierzchalski was a black hawk pilot on a small base where stray dogs would sometimes wander.He and his fellow soldiers took care and adopted the young female stray, naming her Airys.

"She was a part of a pack of dogs, and she came running up to us after a crew came off the flight line,"Pierzchalski said.

That was late last year. He estimates she was only a few months old. The soldiers fed her some Vienna sausages and gave her a bath. She then decided to abandon her pack and stay with the soldiers. They built her a kennel and ordered dog food off of Amazon.

"I didn't do any leash training with her over there. But she would stay with us," he said.

Nick says the Airys quickly became a source of joy for the soldiers. A bright spot in the shadow of war.

"We all had pets at home. Just to bring a little slice of home to us over there, it was the world to us." he explained.

While overseas, Nick began researching methods of getting Airys back to the US. He filled out an 8 page application through SPCA International, who took care of the rest. While Nick came home in March, SPCAI had handlers care for the dog, they got her up to date on vaccinations and observed her for the past two months in Iraq. She was then flown to JFK International Airport then to Tampa. She arrived late last night. SPCAI paid for everything.

"I didn't think it was going to happen," Nick said. "She's part of the family now."

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Soldier reunited with dog he adopted in Iraq - ABC Action News

MERRIMAC Merrimac Public Library will host University of New Hampshire English professor Nathan Webster for a program called To Iraq and Back at 7 p.m. on June 22.

As a freelance photojournalist and U.S. Army noncommissioned officer during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Websters reporting on Iraq appeared in dozens of newspapers nationwide.

As a UNH graduate student, he was embedded alongside U.S. soldiers of the 82nd Airborne and 25th Infantry in Iraq several times spanning the summer of 2007, with its last-ditch surge strategy, to 2008 (reconciliation with former Iraqi tribal foes), and the 2009 slow march to the finish line as soldiers handed the mission over to Iraqi government forces.

Webster will share the photos and stories from his book, Cant Give This War Away: Three Iraqi Summers of Change and Conflict, which documents the time he spent with soldiers overseas, some of the missions they experienced, and perspectives they attained.

Webster says of his freelance work, When soldiers return from overseas, they take off their uniform and blend back into society; maybe it will be hard to remember what these men and women looked like when they were young and at war in a place very far from home.

I hope these photographs and stories help an audience appreciate and understand what it looked and felt like during these three summers in Iraq where the temperature rarely dipped below 125 degrees and a stubborn enemy rarely stood and fought.

Anyone interested can stop by the library at 86 W. Main St. or call978-346-9441 to register for this program.

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'To Iraq and Back' at Merrimac library - The Daily News of Newburyport

TAMPA (FOX 13) - For nearly a year, Nick Pierzchalski flew Blackhawk helicopters in war-torn Iraq. It was his job to airlift wounded soldiers to safety. But of all those lives saved, there's one that touched his heart in a very different way.

This dog ran up to me, ran up to our group, and befriended us immediately, the Florida Army National Guard pilot recalled of his pup, Airys.

Pierzchalski built her a kennel in the hangar, which must have felt like a resort to the once-feral desert dog.

It brought great morale to me and the whole group felt like a piece of home, he continued. She'd hang out with us. She was constantly with us.

Now back home, Pierzchalski hadn't seen Airys since March. But that changed late Thursday night, thanks to the help of SPCA International and Operation Baghdad Pups.

The pair came face to face on the tarmac at Tampa International Airport. When Airys was released from her travel crate, she buried her face in Pierzchalskis big hug.

Youre a lot bigger, Pierzchalski exclaimed as the excited dog wagged her tail.

I cant even put it on words, I really cant. I didnt think I was going to get her home, Pierzchalski continued, interrupted by kisses from his pup. She remembers! I was nervous she wasnt going to remember but she obviously does.

The Brooksville resident said he can't wait to see Airys explore, see grass, and chase squirrels. Their new home together is about as far away from a war zone as she can get.

VIDEO: Watch Joshs report to enjoy the emotional reunion

Link:
Florida soldier reunited with pup from Iraq - FOX 13 News, Tampa Bay

Starting my law office in Iraq was in some ways very similar to how I started my law practice in Towson. In both places, I need the basics: a work space; a private place to meet confidentially with clients; a computer with internet access; a printer; a phone; and a client base.

When I deployed, I arrived in Kuwait, where I took over the established office of the attorney I was replacing. (The Army unit that I support also has troops throughout Iraq, but we did not have an established law office in Iraq at the time.)

Shortly after arriving in Kuwait, however, I was taskedwith travelingto Iraq to assist with a number of investigations into potential soldier misconduct. When I arrived, I had no dedicated office space that I could use, so I networked and made connections that helped me work throughout the military complex using various workstations.

Word spread throughout the military complex that a military attorney was present, and I quickly realized that I was the only judge advocate on the complex. Soon, I had a number of personnel seeking and reaching out to me for various legal assistance from notary services to power of attorney to general legal advice. It did not take long to realize there was a need for legal services at the military complex in Iraq.

I was originally only supposed to stay in Iraq no longer than 10 daysto assist with the investigation, but when people found outI was leaving to go back to Kuwait, I was asked to stay to provide legal assistance for the military complex. I was quickly provided a dedicated office, a computer with internet, a conference room to meet with clients, a phone and printer access.

I have since posted walk-in hours, created flyers, and have an information slide on the local television network. There has been an uptick in client services since the law office opened a few weeks ago. What started out as a short trip to Iraq has turned into an indefinite stay and established law office here.

Since establishing the practice, I have traveled to other more remote locations throughout Iraq to provide legal services to personnel in areas without a judge advocate. The legal office in Kuwait is being run by my judge advocate colleague who handles the majority of work in Kuwait, while I handle the majority of work in Iraq.

I wonder if being the judge advocate for the military complex is similar to being the only lawyer in a small town and surrounding areas. I wouldnt know, as I planted and established myself as one of thousands of lawyers throughout the Baltimore-Washington metro area.

But what remains the same is that a need for legal services, both in Towson and Iraq, led to the establishment of a law office.

Excerpt from:
How I started my law office in Iraq - Maryland Daily Record (subscription)

Media Matters for America

Iraq War booster Judy Miller on Fox worries about mainstream press giving inappropriate coverage to liars Media Matters for America Fox News contributor Judith Miller criticized an upcoming interview of conspiracy theorist radio hostAlex Jones by NBC's Megyn Kelly, calling it completely inappropriate to give a platform to a man who is a conspiracy theorist and giving great pain ... and more »

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Iraq War booster Judy Miller on Fox worries about mainstream press giving inappropriate coverage to liars - Media Matters for America