Dec 13, 2004 — Hundreds of soldiers from the north country are serving on the front lines in Iraq. Those units deal with local civilians every day. Often the encounters are tense, complicated by barriers of language and culture and fear. This week, in his latest Iraq Audio Diary, Major Eric Olsen talks with one of the local interpreters who serve as middle men between American soldiers and the people they're trying to protect. Major Eric Olsen is an Army chaplain from Saranac Lake. He's serving with the 2nd of the 108th, a New York National Guard unit.  Go to full article

Nov 29, 2004 — During the recent fighting in Falloujah, insurgent attacks escalated in other parts of Iraq. North Country National Guard soldiers based at Camp Orion, north of Baghdad, faced a wave of massive car bombings. In his latest Iraq audio diary, recorded in mid-November, Major Eric Olsen, a National Guard Chaplain from Saranac Lake, describes the fighting over a period of 48 hours, as soldiers struggled to maintain order on the front line.  Go to full article

Oct 05, 2004 — Since March, Army chaplain Eric Olsen has been sending audio diaries from Iraq. A Major with New York's National Guard, Olsen was was home in Saranac Lake recently for two weeks of R&R. He sat down with Brian Mann to talk about life on the front lines inside the Sunni Triangle. Also, about the experience of visiting his wife Susan and his sons, Garth and Evan.  Go to full article