My Iraqi Freedom

About the Book

September 11, 2001 changed the world and changed the United States. But most of all, it changed the men and women who were sent to Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein and his brutal regime and to bring freedom to the Iraqi people under his rule. This is the story of one combat medic and his journey to and from one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq—Sadr City. Follow SPC Bingham as he gives a detailed account of the day-to-day life of a soldier and combat medic during the initial stages of what has come to be known as Iraqi Freedom. Through his journal entries, we learn of the sadness, happiness, anger, and fear of those who served so far from home. Through his reflections, we learn what it all meant ten years later for himself and his family. We learn what daily life on the streets and dealing with a culture and language that was as foreign and confusing to them as it was for the people they were protecting. Freedom comes at a price. We all just have to know how much we are willing to pay.

About the Author

Brett John Bingham was born December 3, 1967, at Lakenheath AFB in the United Kingdom to Frosene and David Bingham. His early years were spent in Long Beach, Indiana, and in Westchester, Illinois. He attended Proviso West High School and graduated in 1986. He joined the United States Air Force in January 1988 and served until October 1994. He was stationed in March AFB in Southern California and San Vito Air Station in Italy and participated in multiple TDY assignments at home and abroad. After spending time in the manufacturing industry, he joined the United States Army after September 11, 2001, as a combat medic. After his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was assigned to the 2nd ACR at Fort Polk, Louisiana. It was from there he was deployed to Sadr City, Iraq, in April 2003 and stayed there until April 2004. Brett is currently still in the Army and has been deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. He is now a medical instructor at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Brett is the father of two daughters, Chonsie and Jessie, and has a granddaughter named Charlee. His mother and sisters along with his nephews and nieces now live in Phoenix, Arizona. Brett has been awarded the Combat Medical Badge, Army Commendation Medal with three devices, and a Bronze Star.