U.S. Navy Commander Brad Boyd Visits Military History Class at GA

U.S. Navy Commander Brad Boyd Visits Military History Class at GA

The morning of December 7 offered a unique opportunity for members of Jim Fout’s Military History class, as well as interested faculty and visitors, to experience their military curriculum resonating in a very present reality. Captain (Selectee) Brad Boyer, US Navy Commander and father of a GA junior, Aliya Boyer, joined students to speak about his experience as a Naval Intelligence Officer in Baghdad, Iraq, as well as the larger picture of the Iraq War.

Commander Boyer spoke first of his own experience in Baghdad, where he mobilized from June to December of 2007 as an Intelligence Officer assigned to the Multi-National Force-Iraq Law and Order Task Force (LAOTF). His presentation included personal photos of his living accommodations, uniform (which he described as the equivalent of his “business attire”), weaponry and explosives and the convoy vehicles in which he traveled while in Iraq. Commander Boyer showed maps of the city of Baghdad, providing geographic and demographic background while indicating where his base, Forward Operating Base Shield, was located in the midst of it all.

He also spent time explaining the mission of the Law and Order Task Force of which he was a part. Commander Boyer described the nature of the criminal justice system in Iraq, and the cooperative relationship between the LAOTF and the Iraqi judges who presided over cases brought to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq-Rusafa, where his work was concentrated.

He also gave his audience a taste of daily life on the base, showing a photo of himself with a thermometer that indicated the temperature outdoors in Baghdad one day – 128 degrees---and even sharing a video that he had filmed of a convoy trip through the “Green Zone” of the city. Commander Boyer colored his description of the mission and tasks of life at FOB Shield with personal anecdotes, sharing moments when he felt nervous, and showing the class a picture of his family reunited at Westchester Airport upon his return.

Commander Boyer then scoped his own experience in Iraq to a larger conversation about the future of Iraq, relations in the Middle East and the tenuous interface of the many political players in that area. He discussed the differences in the nature of this modern war from earlier combat that students might have studied and fielded questions from students and faculty. Participants’ questions ranged from inquiries about his daily life on the base to requests for his opinion on American views of the war and projections for the future of the Middle East.

The morning was an informative and fascinating glimpse into not only the Iraq War and military conflict, but also into the overlap of life as a GA parent and a member of the U.S. Armed Forces.