Who is the Interpreter?

The INTERPRETER word means: translating thoughts, points, meanings and actions, but it doesn't mean translating literally!!


the interpreter is a communications bridge between the Coalition Forces and the Local Iraqis, without the interpreter they cant communicate with each other and bad things will happen cuz of the misunderstanding!!



for example, I remember we were doing security operation in a city- west of Iraq, I was with my team. we were the strikers. and there were MET team( team deals with the Iraqi Army).. the MET team leader told his interpreter to call the IA's (Iraqi Army) through the radio and telling them to stay away from that house which we were getting fire from, cuz the air will bomb it...
the interpreter didn't understand what his team leader told him, but I was there and I heard what the team leader said...so the interpreter called the IA's and told them "hey the Americans say get in the house and detain the bad guys inside the house"..

I heard him and I was like what the fuck r u tellin them???? Do u wanna kill them u stupid? he said "that what the team leader said!!" I said "call it off", then I asked the team leader what u just told him? he said "tell the IA's to be away from the house cuz the air will bomb it.." then the terp understood that he translated wrong and he almost kill IA's team by translating mistake...then he called the IA's again and told them "run far away from the house ASAP the air coming to bomb it.."



then he thanked me and started crying cuz it was gonna be a really massacre to the IA's but thanks god I heard what the team leader said and what the terp translated..
my point is, there is a really good terps and there is ok terps and there is sux.. there is terps needs terps, we call them TNT, which is stands for Terp Needs Terp..

the terp was so confused while he was translating cuz we were under fire. but his confusing almost killed the IA's!!
here I'm trying to define the interps and who r they and what r they and why they chose this job. I wont talk only about myself here but I'll talk abut other terps too..
the terps community is a mix of a lot and different classes of ppl, u can find terps from age 18 years old to 65 years and maybe more and from different life classes, like ppl used to be wealthy families or ppl poor and trying to be rich or ppl just want to live good and in peace.. u can find doctors, engineers and ppl still students and also u find ppl they haven't even graduated from high school and ppl even cant read or write Arabic or English!!..


I've never met an interpreter he really loves this job and he really wants to stay in it forever or something. they all have goals and most of the goals r two: gettin kinda good money, feeling safer at work more then at home cuz at work u know u r a target and u r ready to protect yourself but at home in any sec somebody can come and kill u..


there is a fact about terps and its we have to be LIARS so we can still survive, we cant say what is our real names, where we live exactly, what our phone# or anything can define or ID cuz the insurgents they will kill us if they know who we are and were we live. they wont only kill us, but they'll kill our families too..

some of the terps used to work for the Security Companies or the KBR or something else for the Coalition Forces...
there is bad terps, like some of them worked for the insurgents but they r few, and most of them got caught by the CF..


there is another fact, I've never heard a terp says he works to help his country, I mean I heard some of them say it, but I bet them if they really mean it...
for myself I work for the money, money and revenge from insurgents and nothing else!!
I mean I love my country, but to be honest I'm not doing it for my country..
Through terps job, the terp help a loooot of ppl, not only by translating but by talking and explaining to Americans things they think wrong about Iraq and Iraqis..




well I think that's pretty much abut WHO ARE THE INTERPRETERS? I hope its enough..
if u ppl have any question go ahead and ask me!!
Take care everybody..







Sam Iraqi Local National Terp

I REALY NEED ADVICES HERE, plzzzzz help me out!!

hello everybody,



this post gonna be kinda diffrent abut other posts and im writing it without checking the spelling, so anyways i just need here ADVICES from u ppl, cuz im realy in the middle of big trouble..and its:



everybody knows abut me and Amy and howmuch i love her and in the same time howmuch she hurted me for no reasons in the past but now thanx god everything is cool, i know it aint cool like we were in the past 3 years, but its way better then the 4 months that we broke up and howmuch it destroied and ruined me physically and emotionaly!!



Anyways but i still love Amy a real love and i think i know she do the same thing to me, but the problem is when i broke up with Amy i met another girls and girl calls Becky..



Becky filled the emptieness i had in my heart cuz of Amy, and she is always trying to heal the wounds i had cuz of Amy..i used to tell Becky that i love her so much and blab blab bla... but the fact is i like Becky but i dont love her as much i love Amy and Becky knows that!!.. before Amy and me got back together i used to tell her that i love her more then Amy and i wish to marry her and she is my rescue angel, blab blab bla...



then after i felt that i need to put end and give Amy last chance for us to be together again and she took it.. i told Becky abut wat happened and me and Amy we r back together and i made deals with her dad for the marriage after the graduation from college..



Amy's dad wanted from me things that i shud do to have his daughter and i agreed and some of them was like, i shud promise him that i'll make her happy as long am breathing, finsh my college and get the degree, find a good well-paid job and small house that i own, besides that i already own car.. i agreed for wat Amy's dad asked from me cuz Amy to me is high price and she worth it..



now lets talk abut Becky, Becky loves me more then i do, even she calls me for hours and hours from her own cellphone credit, she do watever i ask her to do, besides she said to me if i wanna marry her, she doesnt want anything just my degree and my real care and love to her...cuz she said her mom is a memeber in the iraqi parliament and she can get me a well paid job..but i rejected Becky cuz i love Amy not Becky and howmuch i tried hard to hate Amy and loving Becky i cudnt do it!!



Anyways at June-12-08 Becky sent me SMS and she told me that she loves me so much and she wish we cud be one day one person and live together for the rest of our life!!, then i sent her SMS to make her SMS looks fun and not being seriuos, i told her, cool why u dont come and ask for my hand from my parents?lol.. i just tried to make it looks funny and she is not serious and im not taking it seirously!!

but the fact is she mean it and thats the big problem!!

Now ppl plz tell me, wat i got to do with Becky?

I chosed Amy, and i know Amy is so high price to have and she needs alot of hard work from me to do the promises that i gave to her dad..not like Becky..cuz as i said Becky's family wants only my degree and real luv to thier daughter..

I chosed hard work, jade, pain, sacrifice and my heart by chosing Amy..

I didnt chose my mind, thats why i didnt chose Becky the daughter of the parliament's memeber!!



Fellas now i want ur help in a nice way to get Becky away, i dont want hurt Becky and i dont want cheat on Amy but still having relationship with Becky, besides, Amy told me that i got to cut off all my not normal relationships with other girls icluding Becky and the other 2 girls I know, cuz thats mean i wont be Semper Fidelis(Always Faithful) to Amy..



I got email from a friend of mine, (i hope she is reading my post now) advicing me and she encourged me to cut off all my relationships with other girls and just getting long with Amy..cuz that calls cheating on Amy..and if i still with Becky or any other girl besides Amy, me and Amy wont last for ever..and i dont want this happen, i want Amy forever, ONLY AMY, thats why im breaking up with others..

Please advice me, breifly, I need to break up with Becky in nice way cuz i cant keep hanging Becky in hopes and wishes cant be true, like me and her we cud be something one day!! it aint gonna happen and i dont want hurt Becky..

so wats the DEAL with that?

My trip on the way back home!!

Hello fellows,


I'll start from the day I left my outpost FOB ( Forward Operation Base) to the day I went to my college..

Here we go:


I supposed to go to the big base on the 10th of May in a convoy but on 9th they told me there is no convoy coming on 10th but it'll be next day.. I said ok.. on 10th the DOD interpreter came and told me Sam the convoy is here why don’t u go with them?

I was so surprised, then he went to the TOC ( Technical Operations Center) asking about my convoy, he was told that if Sam wants to go with them he got only 15 mins left cuz they r about to leave, or tomorrow we will get a platoon going to the big base..

Then the DOD interpreter came and told me what was going on and I said yea tomorrow cool cuz I don’t really want to go with this convoy cuz it'll take from 2 to 4 hours to get to the big base.. but if I go with my guys it won't take may be just one hour..
In the meantime I asked the DOD interpreter I want do one more last mission before I go home, today or tomorrow before I leave.. he said no Sam I do want u to go home to ur family and u r tired from missions, I want u to relax and have rest..
I was like come on man its gonna be last mission till god knows when I'll do missions again.. he kept saying No.. I was like OK!
Anyways at that night my new girlfriend ( I call her Becky) called me after midnight..
I told her hey babe don’t worry abut me in the next few days I'll be gone for sometime and the place where im gonna be has no network coverage.. I told her I'm goin home babe.. hopefully I'll fly as soon I get to the big base to the IZ( International Zone) and I told her to pray for me also.. we talked for like more then 3 hours but as usual the network was sucks..
Next day I was supposed to go with my guys to the big base at 1900.. I spent the morning bullshitting with the other interpreters and then me and B.( interpreter) went to the Gym to work out.. I really like B. he is good interpreter he is like 26 years old and he is cool..
There is something that I haven't said it before and its I'm so good in imitation.. I can talk like the rappers and the Mexican.. sometimes when I want to laugh with interpreter, I talk like hey motha fucka, where is my shit nigga? Hey ya'll, get the fuck outta my face homo.. man give me my shit maaaan.. and I act and move my hands and walk like them.. so I look so funny.. the interpreter say Sam we just need to paint u in black and u'll look like the rappers.. lol. beside it my accent is deep American accent..
Anyways at abut 1700 I was walking out my room and I saw LT Os. And he asked me Sam how u doing? I told him I'm good sir what abut yourself? He said "good", then he said "u still having nightmares?" I said "no thanks god, I'm having wet dreams and its way better then nightmares lol"..

* he asked me if I still having nightmares cuz one morning he came to my room and then tried to wake me up for a mission and I was sleeping and have a really bad dream and it was in my dream we were out doing a patrol and then the insurgents kidnapped me and they were trying to kill me, I had this nightmare maybe 4 times..
and then the LT came to wake me up and he was Sam we got a mission, u need to be ready in 30 mins.. then I panicked and I kept saying no not me no not me.. he was like Sam r u alright? Then I told him: me no not me and then I pointed at other interpreter bed that he suppose to go out in this mission as we made a deal a night before..
then at the next day I had met the LT Os. Telling him " Sir I'm sorry about what happened that morning I was having nightmare that’s why I was looking strangely..
then he said "its ok but what was your nightmare?" then I told him my nightmare.. that’s why he asks my about dreams every time he sees me..

Anyways me and other interpreter talked to the LT for like more then 30mins and it was an interesting conversation, we were talking about the new unit that was taking over his unit and what stupid things they've done cuz they are new, like missing roads and they miss the way from the JSS to the FOB.. and when he is going home….etc. I really liked LT Os.
Then I went to take a shower and getting ready to leave..
I said bye to the interpreters and I told them I'm gonna miss u fellas, and I want to stay here and I don’t want stay.. I want stay here cuz I like to be here cuz I earned so many things here and I don’t want stay here cuz I got to do my final college exams..
They told me Sam u will be leaving or we will kick ur ass, u have to do ur exams, ur future is more important then anything..
I really like the interpreters and soldiers over there but at the beginning I disliked them and I had some troubles with them.. but they are good with me most of the time..
I went and said bye to the soldiers I know and the old soldiers that they didn’t leave yet..
I went to vehicles park and I asked the patrol leader which vehicle I'll be in? he said the MRAP.. I put my bags in the MRAP and I sat there asking myself, " U'll come back to this place again Sam or that’s enough for ur interpreter's soul walk?" I didn’t find the answer but I'll sometime in future!!..
Our SP ( Start Patrolling) time should be at 1900 but some stupid reasons from the new unit like they had a radio broke down and they couldn't find a gun for the gunner made us late.. we left at 2000..

In our way to the big base we had to stop by the JSS to drop off some things.. they missed the way to the JSS and I lead them to the JSS.. I was like god how the hell they're gonna reach the big base at night time and simply they missed the JSS??!!!
Plus the soldiers in the MRAP didn’t know how to use the headsets and I taught them how to use them!!! One of them said that’s cool the interpreter knows things more then we do!! And we don’t know how to use the headsets!!
Anyways we reached the big base at 2120..
Once I got in the base I went to L3 office to get my pay..
I took my pay for April and it was 1350$ and he said right? I was like Yes but if u want pay me more than that it will be so nice of u.. then he said yea Sam, u wish lil buddy..
Then I went to my POC ( Point Of Contact) to arrange for me a flight to the IZ.. I went to his office and he was not there and they told me to wait he might be back anytime soon..
I sat there and waiting and then a soldier came start making a conversation with me..
Like where u from and how old I'm…the normal Americans favorite questions..
He was so interesting about the Iraqi history and he asked me what is the difference between Shiite and Sunni? I told Shiite follow the prophet Mohamed's family and the Sunni follow the prophet Mohamed's friends, that’s pretty much what is the different..
Anyways then the POC didn’t show up and then they had to take me to the tent that I was supposed to spent the night in.. he asked me if I know where the tent was at, I told him the interpreters tent closed, but I think I have to go to a transit tent to spent the night over there..



He asked me if I remember where the old interpreters tent at so we go to check..
We went there and I walked to the tent at night time and it was kind of dark!!
I was trying to open the tent door and I noticed a note on the door says "Females Tent".. I was like damn!! I wished that I walked in and I didn’t see the note, but I'll get myself in trouble for doing that..



Anyways we went looking for the transit tent and finally we found it..
I walked in the transit tent and I saw in the 1st bed someone looks exactly like my cousin, I was like shit!!
Then I just start talking and asking him abut normal things, like who he work for and…..etc. he is a cool dude his name was H., he was my close friend for the 3 days I spent in the main Camp..
We went to the Chow Hall and we had the mid night chow..
Then we went to sleep and the tent was so cold.. I didn’t have blanket, so I had a freezing night.. I covered my body with a mattresses so I got lil bit warm.. then few soldiers walked in the tent and they were looking for a beds..
They came by my bed and they saw 2 matrices and I was between them!! But they didn’t realize that I was sleeping between them.. one of them lifted the upper mattress and he saw me and he was like.. Oops Sorry man, I didn’t know there is somebody here!!, then I laughed and all the soldiers laughed too, I said its alright just let me continue my dream dude with freezing night ..lol
It was really bad freezing night I couldn't sleep for a complete hour and in the next day I had cold.. cuz its freaking cold at night and freaking hot at day time..
Anyways at the next day, I told the terps, hey I wanna f**k a girl or bitch for money..
Then one of the terps told me hey Sam u serious about it? I said yea man, I've never f**cked be4, I still virgin and I wanna taste it..

He said ok, I know a black Ugandan girl, she gives f**k for 20$..
Then I thought about it, and I was like Sam for the first time in ur life u sleep with girl and u'll do it with Black Ugandan!!!?? Sam its ok if she is Black American girl but not Ugandan!!.. what the hell I'm gonna tell anybody asks me, with who I slept for the first time in my life or who I gave my virginity?.. dude, no I'm not gonna do that with Black Ugandan!!!.. f**k that!!.. I'd rather to stay virgin then sleeping with this bitch..
Then I said any white chick okay or black American girl, ok too..
But I couldn’t find any white chick or black American cuz I was so sick and I didn’t have enough time to find girl or bitch to sleep with..
Anyways I still virgin till this second and cuz im back with Amy, I wont lose my virginity, cuz I promised myself if I'm with Amy I wont do that, but with another girl I'll do it.. that’s why I tried to lose my virginity back then..
Then in the 3 days I was at the camp I met a lot of interpreters and none of them believed that I'm virgin cuz I talk to much about these things and I did nothing and do nothing!!! lol..
Anyways I met one of the interpreters and he works Civil Affairs (ppl incharge of contracts).. I just met him and he asked me, Sam where u originally from? I told him Baghdad, he said I mean from Syria or Jordan? I told him No, im Iraqi and all my family r Iraqis.. he said Oh, but u talk broken Iraqi accent.. I told him yea cuz I used to be for along time with Americans and I almost forgot the Iraqi accent..

This man was talking about contracts and he told me Sam, be4 a while I translated a contract and I had good commission cuz I told the contractor I wont let the Americans agree on ur contract if u don’t give me some of ur benefits...
Yea ppl let me be so honest some of the interpreters who work for Civil Affairs get a lot of money by this way.. some of them make deals with the Americans and share the money they get from the contractor with the Americans.. If the interpreter didn’t do that and he got caught by Americans, they'll send him to jail to the rest of his life…
Even if I work with the Civil Affairs I might do that!! I know its not good, but that’s just to be 100% in my all posts, even there is things wrong about me, I don’t care I'll post them all..

I had the chance to do that but I didn’t do it, cuz I said to myself just do ur job, that’s it and don’t think about other things.. so I didn’t do it..
Anyways in one of the nights I was there, there were a party and the soldiers singing, singing songs they have in their minds, just any soldier wanna sing he just walk to the stage and sing his song, I was in the tent and I heard the music and I heard soldier singing Linkin Park "In The End" then I thought in doing that too, I wanted to sing Hinder "Better Than Me" and dedicate it to Amy..



I just wanted some1 to tell me go Sam and sing, but nobody motivated me, I told H. hey I'm goin over there to sing, he said no Sam lets go to the Chow Hall better then singing, I was like dude just motivate me, I wanna sing!!...
I didn’t sing that night and I regret cuz I did not!! Before I went to sleep I thought in wat I did all the day and wat I wanted to do and I didn’t do.. and I regret for not singing.. but I promise myself next time I see party I'll sing and I will not need for motivations!!..

I spent most of 3 days at the base with H., I remember once we went to the MWR and we were playing foosball and then a soldier came and he said he wants to play with the winner, I told him alright I give up, hey H. play the dude and kick his ass..
Then I told the soldier hey if u lose u gonna pay us 200$ and if u win u'll pay 300$ alright?? lol..
Then the soldier said no damn way, lol!! He said losing not in my system.. I was like NOOO buddy losing from today in ur system and H. gonna put it in ur system..
Then really H. won 2 games and the soldier won only one game..
That was fun I didn’t stop making fun of the soldier, then the soldier got pissed and told me: Sam lets play u and me? I told him I'm not good in foosball but I can play ping pong and I promise u, I'll kick ur ass, lol..
Then we went to the TV room and we saw only a male soldier with female soldier watching a movie and the lights were off...
We walked in the TV room to see what they were doing, we saw them holding each other and the soldier was messaging the female soldier legs!! I was like Oh yea H. and I told H. in Arabic hey do u want to f**k with them? He said how? I told him I'll tell the female hey if u don’t let me sleep with u, we'll witness u and the soldier doing these things here and u'll get a lot of trouble for that? I told him H. what do u think? He said sounds cool, but Sam she's black and u don’t want to lose ur virginity with black girl right? I told him yea I don’t want to… alright then f**k it… lets get the hell outta here!!


Anyways at the 3rd night I was about to fly out, myself and other interpreter his name was D…
And thanks god we made it out, POC (Point Of Contact) took us to the L.Z (Land Zone) and he asked the guy who was in charge of flights to get for us 2 space seats..
The flight at 2100 and we just sat there hanging out and bullshitting, myself, D., my POC and the flights soldier..



Then the soldier saw my lil guitar and asked me is that urs Sam? I told him yes, I'm gonna be the Iraqi Rock star lol.. he said alright so I want to take a pic with u Sam for the future, I told him how much u pay me for the pic lol? Cuz there'll come a day and it'll be worth it and u'll be the 1st American taken pic with Sam the Rock star, lol… well I'll be generous with u and I'll give u my signature, lol… then we were laughing so loud… then the hellos showed up, and then we told our POC thanks for all ur help Sgt. Wish us good luck in our exams and our leave..
I like my POC he's cool, he made me sign my time sheet before I leave and he gave me, 26 paid days.. he shouldn't have given me 26 days, but 20 days only for leave but he was new in this position so he doesn’t know that much about leave days and time sheets beside that I didn’t tell him cuz that mean more money for me!! Plus he wont lose any dime from his pocket!!
Anyways we flew to the IZ and something very strange happened on the way to the IZ and it was that the helo stopped over a civilians house in the city for like 3 or 4 mins.. I was like oh shit the pilot goin to land on this house roof!! Sam u r fucked up, we r under attack.. we were all scared!!
Then the pilot kept flying and till now I don’t know what happened over there and why the pilot did that, but it was scary though!! I thought for a while that the pilot hates the interpreters and he is gonna drop us off in this house!! Cuz there were only interpreters in the helo..
But thanks god I was totally wrong!!

Anyways we reached the IZ peacefully after like 50 mins flying..
Once we got in IZ the Titan girl came to pick us up.. she was black hot girl and u can see lil bit from her breast, lol!!!
D. the interpreter is a goofy boy I like him, he kept telling me hey Sam look at her breast!! She is hot!!..
Then we reached Titan's building and we went to the tent and trying to sleep but we couldn't sleep cuz we were just thinking about the next morning and getting the hell out of IZ and getting home ASAP!!

I sent SMS to Becky, I told her hey I'm at the IZ and then she called and I talked to her for like an hour!!
Then I called my friend to tell him to get me from the IZ tomorrow morning but he couldn't come cuz his car was broken down!!
I called dad and I told my Dad im gonna tell u something but don’t tell the family about it ok? He said yea ok what is it? I told him Dad im at the IZ and I need you to come and pick me up tomorrow morning, he said ok but I got to give ur brother a ride cuz he is going to the Omrah ( something like pilgrimage to Mecca)..
I told him its ok but don’t be late and don’t tell anybody im coming home, he said ok!!



There were no blankets at the tent, so D. and me went to the females tent to get blankets cuz there is always blankets over there!!
D. walked in the females tent and say a female terp inside and he was like Oh! Damn Sorry, I'm really sorry!! She was like its ok, then we walked away and I was laughing and then she said hey do u guys know where is Antonio? Then D. turned around to her and told her, we don’t know him but I can be in Antonio's shoes if u need anything?!! She was like no thanks..
Then I told D. u crazy mother f**ker u r trying to get laid with her?? He was like why not? Hey Sam what do u think? Why was she looking for Antonio and its after midnight now?? Ha? I told him yea she wants to get banged!!


Then we couldn't sleep and we just sat in the garden, smoking and drinking Pepsi..
then we went to sleep and I couldn't sleep for only maybe like 3 hours cuz I was thinking too much of home, Amy and Becky!!
Next morning we left the IZ and we walked out of it.. then I waited for dad somewhere close to the IZ, then my dad came with my lil sis, I saw dad and he had the seat belts on, I was like Dad u start taking safety lessons or what, lol?!! Then I hugged and kissed him..
When I saw my lil sis with dad I knew everybody at home knew im coming back home so it won't be surprise like every time I do in the other vacations..
Then I drove the car and I said its been long time babe I didn’t drive a car, 2 damn months no driving!!
We reached home and I saw mom at the home door and she was crying from happiness and kissed her and I kissed her hands… and I saw my other sisters and I hugged them too..
Then they all asked me, Sam r u going back again to ur job?? I was like hey I just got back!! And I don’t know if I'm goin back or no!!
Mom said I hope u wont!!
Anyways, after greeting my family I went to greet my best friend, my car!! And I kissed the hood and I was like its been long ass time bitch I didn’t screw u!!
Then I turned the engine on and I went to buy some clothes, to get ready for the college!!
I spent the first night at home thinking about if I'm gonna tell Amy that I am back home or not? then I said No, dude she is gone, she is from the past!!
I think that’s pretty much all my trip story and if I remember something else I'll edit this post and post it with it..



Sam