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TODD: So Mustafa was a kid that was the son of a
contractor that we worked with in Fallujah
on a regular basis.
His dad would help us with everything from cleaning up
the streets to helping the Iraqi national elections.
He had a lot of pride.
And Mustafa and I started to become friends.
You know, just goofing off while his
dad was at work sometimes.
I'd bring him treats, he'd bring me treats.
And he was sort of that quiet after the storm, after we had
sieged the city of Fallujah.
There was just this one kid that, even amongst this
massive level of destruction, he was still a kid.
And I remember Mustafa because I felt like I really had an
impact on him.
When we left, I felt like he was pretty proud to have been
involved with us and worked with us and everything else.
The tough part was that a month after I got home, after
that tour, I got an email from the team that had replaced us.
And they had killed his father.
And it was really tough to think about Mustafa and how
great a kid he was, and how he loved the hell out of his dad.
And then the insurgents had killed his dad.
And we weren't there to help in any way, shape, or form.
So that kind of is one of those pieces where you really
appreciate the kids.
They help you get through those deployments.
But when you leave these places, these individuals
don't leave. These kids continue to grow up in these
environments.
And there's nothing really I can do to help once I come
back here and throw on my civilian clothes.