Ft. Jackson investigation continues over poisoning rumors

An interpreter translates a conversation for Staff Sgt. Brian Culberson and the head of a local polling station during a survey of al-Hay, Iraq, polling stations Feb. 13. The stations will be used in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Photo Credit US Army.Ft. Jackson has issued a statement about rumors that soldiers enlisted in the interpreter program were trying to poison their fellow soldiers’ food. On Thursday, the fort’s Public Affairs office said, “In December 2009, five Soldiers were investigated for potential verbal threats against fellow Soldiers. While the investigation continues there is currently no credible evidence to substantiate the allegations. At no time was there any danger to the Fort Jackson community.”

Some media had claimed the soldiers were Muslims, but there is no mention of faith in the official announcement. That is to be expected; faith is rarely mentioned in any government releases.

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Kilbride’s Iraq memoir delivers surprises about politics, the military and war

By Kay B. Day

Elizabeth Kilbride—Betty to those who get to know her—has a special place in her heart for people who serve in the military. Her father served in the U.S. Army; her brother served in the U.S. Marines. She grew up in Levittown, N.Y., the first planned community for veterans in the U.S.

'Soul of American Warriors' by Elizabeth Kilbride is a first hand account of life in a combat zone, but the memoir is told from the perspective of a layperson rather than a soldier.By the time Kilbride reached adulthood, there wasn’t much she didn’t know about the military. From the social atmosphere at VFW posts to the military fondness for acronyms, Kilbride had an inside view. And by the time the U.S. entered the War on Terror after being attacked, Kilbride found herself in a unique position, that of observer and writer. She traveled to Iraq, embedded with a Marine Corps unit. She recorded her experiences in the just-released book ‘Soul of American Warriors’ (Fathers Press, 2009).

Few writers and virtually no one from elite journalism circles share the perspective Kilbride has. Her book is shaped as a memoir, and she shares information no other media has covered. It comes as a surprise that in a country where the enemy is not readily identifiable, at a time when violence was raging, locals were preparing and serving our soldiers’ food.

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