Sep 13, 2004 — Hundreds of National Guard soldiers from New York and Vermont are serving on the front lines in Iraq. When they return home this winter, the Bush administration hopes to replace many of them with soldiers from the Iraqi National Guard. A recruitment campaign is underway in Iraq. But so far, the ING hasn't performed well against Iraqi insurgents. New recruits have been also been targeted by terrorist bombings and assassinations. New York reservists have been working hard to train new Iraqi soldiers, helping them prepare for what could be a long and bloody fight. In his latest audio diary, Major Eric Olsen attends an ING graduation ceremony in central Iraq.  Go to full article

Sep 06, 2004 — The number of National Guard and Reserve soldiers now mobilized tops 135,000. Hundreds of reservists from the north country are serving in several hotspots in Iraq, including the region around Samarra. National Guard private Nathan Brown, from Glens Falls, was killed there on Easter Sunday and fierce attacks against U.S. forces continue. In his latest audio diary, recorded in late July, chaplain Eric Olsen, a Major from Saranac Lake, travels with a convoy to visit soldiers in Samarra who are struggling to keep the peace.  Go to full article

Sep 06, 2004 — As reservists from the north country reach the halfway point of their deployment, many are now cycling home from Iraq for two-week vacations. The dose of R&R is a time to reconnect with family and friends. It's also a chance to get a taste of normal life away from the war zone. Major Olsen spoke with National Guard Sergeant Joe Fisher from Saranac Lake.  Go to full article

Aug 09, 2004 — Today we hear the sounds of the everday in Iraq, from Corporal Bill Putnam, a photojournalist with the Army's 122nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. David Sommerstein met Bill when he was reporting from Kosovo in 2002. Bill's stationed now at Camp Ferrin-Huggin in southern Baghdad. A few days ago he was with a unit patrolling through a run-down neighborhood of Baghdad, a couple miles from the international airport. They came upon a bakery, a hotspot for conversation and gossip, and stopped to chat. Here's Bill's audio diary.  Go to full article

Aug 02, 2004 — More than 150,000 National Guard and Reservists are on active duty, many of them stationed in Iraq. These civilian soldiers struggle to balance life in a war zone with the demands of family and businesses back home. Now, many reservists from New York have been given a chance to visit their families for two-week vacations. In his latest audio diary from Iraq, Major Eric Olsen, a chaplain from Saranac Lake, talks about the delights and the stresses of R&R.  Go to full article

Jul 26, 2004 — Over the last four months, Major Eric Olsen has been sending audio diaries home from Iraq. Olsen is a National Guard chaplain from Saranac Lake. Often, his accounts have dealt with the tension and danger faced by U.S. soldiers. But Americans on the front lines are also confronted by suffering and hardship among the Iraqis they hope to liberate. This week, Major Olsen describes his encounter with the family of an Iraqi killed by U.S. soldiers. A warning that some of the language in this week's diary might trouble some listeners.  Go to full article

Jul 05, 2004 — Over the last four months, New York's National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq have faced deadly rocket and mortar strikes. The attacks have tapered off in recent weeks, in part because of a campaign to hit back at insurgents. As our Iraq audio diary series continues, Army Chaplain Major Eric Olsen spends a night with a mortar crew hunting enemy attackers on the perimeter of an Army base north of Bagdad called Camp Orion.  Go to full article

Jun 21, 2004 — Two National Guard soldiers from northern New York were injured last week when a number of mortar rounds hit camp Anaconda, north of Bagdad. Anaconda is a major supply hub for New York's National Guard units serving in Iraq. The area has come under regular attack from rockets, mortars and improvised explosive devices -- known as "IEDs". Iraq is filled with weapons, some left over from Saddam Hussein's regime or supplied on the black market. This week, as part of his audio diary series, Army chaplain Eric Olsen spends a day with the unit assigned to find and destroy enemy munitions around Anaconda. Major Olsen is a National Guard soldier from Saranac Lake.

NOTE: This audio diary was recorded in late May, before last week's deadly attack. The series is produced by Brian Mann.  Go to full article

Jun 18, 2004 — National guard soldiers from Plattsburgh and Chazy Lake were injured Wednesday in Iraq, when a rocket struck an Army base north of Bagdad. One of the soldiers has been medevac'd to Germany with a serious eye wound. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Apr 05, 2004 — While some Fort Drum soldiers are returning home from overseas, roughly seven hundred National Guard and Reserve soldiers from New York have just arrived in Iraq. Over the next year, Major Eric Olsen - an Army chaplain from Saranac Lake - will be sharing an audio diary of his experiences. This morning, Major Olsen's journey continues in Kuwait, where the 2nd of the 108th Infantry battalion geared up for the convoy into Iraq.  Go to full article