Assistant principal Mr. Sean Begley is preparing for another military term in Iraq.

“The job I’ll be doing is rebuilding the infrastructure, like improving the Iraqis’ ability to obtain certain things,” Mr. Begley said.

Mr. Begley was in Iraq from December 2004 to December 2005, and his last position as company commander put him in charge of 105 soldiers. Since then, the conditions in the country have become more stable.

“It’s definitely a safer job than last time. From an operational standpoint, I think we’re in good position,” Mr. Begley said.

Mr. Begley also said that the Iraqis’ attitude towards United States troops varied in different areas of the country.

“[The Iraqis’ attitude] depends on where you were. On Jan. 25, 2005, we were letting people know we could put a platoon in a town if we needed to. In one town they threw a parade for us and even tried to feed us, and another town was like a ghost town. Everyone closed their windows,” Mr. Begley said.

However, progress is being made in Iraq, even if the media does not report it all the time.

“I don’t think anyone in the United States is well informed [about the war]. [The media] doesn’t report the good things. You don’t see the positive things happening in the country,” Mr. Begley said.

The main office has not reached a decision yet about filling Mr. Begley’s assistant principal position when he leaves for Iraq next year.

“I don’t really know what’s going to happen with [the position] yet. We don’t know if we’re filling it with a dean position or an assistant principal position,” Principal Mrs. Sandie Platt said.

Mr. Begley will miss certain parts of coming to work at Lake Central every day.

“[I’ll miss] the people the most. I’ll miss the teachers, my co-workers and the students. I’m in education because I love working with young people,” Mr. Begley said. Mr. Begley will also be equally missed.

“None of us want him to go back. However, it’s his patriotic duty, and he feels it’s a privilege to serve his country. We want him to come home safe,” Mrs. Platt said.

For the remainder of his time at Lake Central, Mr. Begley wants to get students to recognize the freedoms and privileges they have as U.S. citizens.

“I think students should realize what a great country they live in; if they spent 20 minutes in a country like Iraq, I think they’d realize how lucky we are to live in a great country like America,” Mr. Begley said.

Mr. Begley also talked about his experience speaking with an Iraqi man who expressed his feelings about the Iraqi election.

“[I’m in the army] for the glory of someone to say to you, ‘Now I have a ballot that has a bunch of names on it, and before I had one name and three police officers watching me.