Home at last

Lawson is glad to be home from tour in Iraq

By Ben Holman

Nevada Daily Mail

Over weekend of July 4, Cheryl Lawson's family was overjoyed to be able to host a welcome home party for their recently returned soldier. Cheryl returned to the U.S. from Iraq about two and a half weeks ago and was able to come home to the Nevada area during her 10 days leave.

"I lived in a tent for 3 1/2 months. The only running water was in the bathrooms and you were limited to 5 minute showers. Outside of tent city, there was no running water," she describes.

Lawson was unable to disclose the unit that she was with but was able to say that during her time in Iraq she was a supply troop. Lawson is a 1999 graduate of Nevada High School, where she had been a member of ROTC; after graduating, she joined the Air Force in order to travel, gain further education and for the overall experience.

Lawson is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and was deployed to Iraq from there; she was in Iraq for three and a half months but is not allowed to tell exactly where she was assigned. "I enjoyed Iraq," she said, "I've met several Iraqi people and have made friends with some."

She also says that she enjoyed the opportunity to meet troops from all around the world. "The Italians were always trying to feed you," she said.

Lawson was also able to experience a very different environment from the one she has grown accustomed to. "It was hot! There were camel spiders about the size of a small dog."

She describes the landscape as bleak and almost everything in shades of brown, "I almost forgot how beautiful Missouri was; it's so green here."

"I was lucky to be stationed in the safest part of Iraq, if you can call any part of Iraq safe," she said. Lawson's grandmother Joann said, "I thank God she was in the Air Force and not one of the branches more directly in harms way." However, Lawson says that Air Force personnel will be required to begin traveling with convoys soon due to limited numbers of troops.

"I feel like I did some good," says Lawson, who's duties included helping in the hospital and gathering toys for the children.

"Most of the other troops, both foreign and U.S., were also glad to be there."

Where Lawson was stationed coalition forces were building a school so that the Iraqi children could return to some kind of normal routine.

When asked if she would be deployed to Iraq again in the future she said, "I don't know, but I can volunteer to go again."

She noted that if she were asked to volunteer she would gladly accept the opportunity.

"You miss your family, but you know that you are over there for a reason and you really are doing some good."