22 October,2009 07:22 AM IST | | Agencies
US soldier Adrian Vesik heard that war could be hell. He was happy to discover when he arrived in Iraq earlier this year that his war experience also would include salsa dancing, yoga and martial-arts classes.
"When I signed up for the Army, I thought I was going to be a herou00a0- go out and do some fighting," says Vesik (19), during a break at a Filipino-Okinawan jujitsu class. "I haven't come close to doing anything that I was trained to do. I work, maybe, four to five hours a day. I have time to try all these new things. It's not so bad."
Because of new rules that require Iraqi approval for all US missions, and a general decline in violence nationwide, many of the 1,17,000 US troops stationed in Iraq say they now have more idle time than at any previous point in the six-year war.
Stress buster
For one soldier, Sgt James Whorley (23), from 25th Infantry Division imagery analyst, of Sacramento, CA, the Salsa night at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center in Tikrit serves more to relieve stress and increase confidence.
"I always anticipate Friday night... because no matter how hard a week I've had I can listen and get lost in the music. This allows me to forget all my problems and relieve that stress that was built up," he said.
"The importance of every deployed soldier having a stress relieving outlet can actually prevent or treat combat stress and post traumatic stress disorders. Having these outlets in place for soldiers to escape and clear the mind will eliminate or help deter the buildup of stress," he said.
Many troops express relief at the diminished threat of injury or death. Yet some say they have struggled with depression because they don't feel like they are doing enough.
"It's been hard to get used to how much things have changed," says Army Staff Sgt Wayne Kersh, who is on his third deployment in Iraq. "During the other tours, we were always going. You went on patrol, you ate, you slept, and then you did it again. You never had to think about keeping a soldier occupied."
