December 16, 2003 - An Apostolic Soldier in Iraq

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An Apostolic Soldier in Iraq - The Billy Mullinax Interview
By Alicia Becton
December 16, 2003

“This place is really starting to give me the creeps due to the mortar attacks around us. Imagine that you are sleeping and you wake up to the sound of a rocket going over your head and landing about 4 blocks away. When you get up to examine what happened 8 more rockets go off and you wonder where they are going to land. The thought comes to your mind is it my time to go? That is how I felt that day that the hotel was hit.” -E-mail from Billy Mullinax to me on October 29, 2003.

As I sat across the table from this 22 year-old kid that I’ve been friends with since he was 16, it occurred to me that this is no kid. The 16 year-old I met six years ago when I moved to Nashville grew up and grew up fast. He used to live down the street from my apartment and while I was coaching the Junior Quiz Team he was quizzing on the Senior Quiz Team. He and his brother would quote to me and walk with me in the neighborhood. When I went out of town Billy came over to feed my bird. He has seen a lot of life and some of his decisions have led him around the world. Instead of living down the street, Billy now lives outside of Baghdad on active duty for the United States Army.

The following is an informal interview I did with him during a quiet dinner at The Stockyard, one of my favorite steak houses in Nashville. Between ordering and the salad I would ask questions and write feverishly to get all the information he was so willing to provide. Then between salad and steak I continued, as well as after dinner.

By the time we left, several waiters and customers gleaned from our conversation that Billy was in the service and home on a two-week leave, but would be going back soon. Upon leaving the restaurant many people came up to him and wished him the best or thanked him for what he was doing. One elderly gentleman advised him to keep his head down, and then explained that he had been a part of the 101^st Airborne Division. Even walking to the car a man walked back from his family towards Billy and asked if he heard right that Billy was in the service. Billy answered yes, that he would be going back in a few days and the man pulled out his military ID and thanked him for the service he was doing for his generation now that he was retired. This Sergeant Major got all choked up while thanking Billy, which got me choked up. Billy humbly shook his hand and said you’re welcome.

Later he admitted he was so encouraged to be able to go back to his battalion with news that there was support for them in the United States. All they seem to hear is that America is against the war in Iraq.

On a personal note, I realized I have never been a friend to someone who is currently on duty in such a dangerous environment. It humbled me to realize that this 22 year-old, my friend Billy Mullinax, put his life on the line every day to fight for freedom, my freedom.

90&9: Tell me some basic background information.
BM: I’m 22 and graduated from high school in 2000. I’ve attended the First United Pentecostal Church in Nashville, Tennessee all my life.

90&9: Some military background information.
BM: I enlisted at age 19 and spent 13 weeks in training at Fort Bening, GA which was not very fun.

90&9: Why did you enlist?
BM: I had just ended a bad relationship and wanted to get away from the bad memories, so I thought about enlisting in the Army. Some men in my church that are in the service advised me to sign up for the National Guard rather than go to the active Army. So, I signed up for the National Guard and from basic training went to Fort Jackson, South Carolina to AIT (Advanced Individual Training) training for Administrative Specialist School for five weeks. My first week in basic training was the week of September 11^th, 2001 which changed the world. I came home from my training and was not called up for active duty until November 25, 2002.

Originally when I was called to Fort Campbell, KY in November 2002, I thought it would be for one year of service for fort protection in Kentucky. In March 2003 orders came that I would be called up to go overseas, but I didn’t know where, at first. On June 9, 2003 I went overseas and arrived in Kuwait on June 12, 2003. I was in Kuwait till June 26, 2003 and then traveled to Baghdad for three days, arriving there on June 29, 2003. They said we would be home around October 2003, but now word is one year on ground in country duty to serve, so I’m looking at June 2004 to leave Iraq and will spend some time in demobilization in Kuwait and back in Nashville hopefully some time in August 2004.

90&9: What are some of your duties in Iraq? Where have you been stationed?
BM: I am a radio/telephone operator, which is someone who is there for the battalion and company in case of support or backup as needed. I am responsible for calling one of the company units to respond to a mission or if a unit gets into trouble. I would call on the medical units or Iraqi Police (IP) to respond. I also do some postal runs and the med runs. For med runs, I would take someone in the troop to a doctor when necessary, which is about 30 miles from our post north of Baghdad near the airport. I work 12 hour shifts seven days a week.

This leaves my remaining 12 hours to fit in sleep, working out, eating, and checking e-mail or reading mail.

Initially, I was stationed in Baghdad, right across from the Crossed Sabres where Saddam Hussein marched. Currently I’m in southern Baghdad with the 82^nd Airborne. This has worked out nice for me because the Major in this battalion is a woman from my home church in Nashville, Patricia Jones*.

90&9: What is your biggest fear?
BM: Losing a soldier in my unit, either because they are killed or seriously injured. Having to face that is a big fear of mine. I’ve had two of my best friends injured, one had a leg injury and one had an injury to his face. One recovered and is still active, but the other was sent home. I also fear something happening back home to friends or family and me being too far away to do anything or just be there for them. Of course, I fear for my life as well every day.

90&9: What gets you through each day? What kind of support helps?
BM: My biggest thing I look forward to is the mail and being able to check e-mail when possible. Also, I look forward to working out. I find that this relieves a lot of stress and works out any anger that would build up otherwise.

90&9: What is the best item you’ve received in the mail? What’s the worst?
BM: Best: Chocolate fudge. Worst: someone sent a pair of those goofy glasses with the nose and eyebrows around Halloween. I didn’t need a Halloween costume and I didn’t understand why someone would send that, so I gave them away.

90&9: What are the friendships like in your troop?
BM: We have definitely become a close group of friends¾much closer than when we started out. At first there were little fights and tension but we’ve all bonded and if one person gets hurt, the whole unit feels it.

90&9: What has surprised you the most about yourself through this experience?
BM: How well I am able to handle a crisis situation and just remain calm and focused. I didn’t know I was capable of it until it happened. One day a vehicle was hit while I was working the radio. A few days before this I had an argument with a guy in my unit that told me if I didn’t do my job right someone would die. It hit me how important my job really was. I was able to phone people to do security around the explosion, report to the Battle Command Team (BCT) to investigate, contact Medivac to take the wounded soldier to the hospital. I had three different radios going at once and had to remain calm enough to explain the situation and as quickly as possible get the right people to the right places. The next day the guy that I had argued with came up to me and told me how thankful he was that I was the one on duty because the soldier was saved.

90&9: How have you changed/grown in this short time?
BM: I’ve matured a lot. I realize more now what is important in life. I appreciate America a lot more and my family, friends, relationships¾not the material things. I also really appreciate hot water, which we never have over there. I take cold showers and being in the dessert it is still cold in the morning going back to my tent after the cold shower.

90&9: What else do you miss?
BM: Mostly I miss my family, my friends, and my church. I do miss my car¾a new Camaro, too.

90&9: Do you get to interact with any local Iraqis? What are they like?
BM: I sometimes interact with a guy that owns a construction company over there. He has four wives and 25 kids. He knows enough English to communicate and is pretty nice. He has said that the people aren’t as afraid of us as they once were. They were so frightened of us from Saddam’s teachings of Americans.

90&9: Can you feel a difference being in a Muslim nation?
BM: It is different because of their prayer schedule. I wake up every morning at 5 a.m. to a guy on top of a mosque saying his prayers, then again at 1 p.m. and later around 7 p.m. The demonstrators are frightening because of the language barrier and the belief that some of them hold that killing Americans will guarantee them heaven.

90&9: Is there any type of church service available?
BM: There is a chapel service of the Episcopal faith, but I mainly read my Bible on my own and pray.

90&9: Do you have a certain scripture you quote often?
BM: From my Bible quizzing days¾Proverbs 3:5. (Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.) There are other scriptures from that year that I didn’t know I remembered until I needed them.

90&9: In your opinion, how long until troops in Iraq can completely pull out?
BM: They are telling us 2-3 years till the troops can leave, but I can’t see how troops can ever completely leave the country. Maybe I’m basing my opinion partly on Bible prophecy and the fact that the Middle East is always referenced in prophecy with conflict, but I don’t see how the country will make it if we ever leave. And, yes, that’s discouraging.

90&9: So if you had it to do over, would you enlist?
BM: No. And I have no plans to re-enlist. My tour of duty will end November 2006 and I plan to get out of the military at that time. I definitely plan to finish college.

I am including the addresses for both Billy Mullinax and Patricia Jones. Billy does have access to e-mail, but not all the time and he said it was very slow.

If you would like to send mail to Billy Mullinax, please send your encouragement and Christmas Cards to:

SPC Mullinax, Billy
HHD 168^th MP BN
269^th MP CO
APO, AE 09342-1322

* Patricia Jones was in the National Guard and was called up, leaving behind her husband and three children (ranging from 2^nd to 9^th grade) in Tennessee. Her rank was too high to be granted a two-week leave and she would also appreciate any prayers and mail. If you would like to send mail to Patricia Jones, please send your encouragement and Christmas Cards to:

MAJ Patricia M. Jones
HHD 168^th MP BN
APO, AE 09342-1322

ninetyandnine.com

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Alicia Becton enjoys reading and traveling and Christmastime. She does not especially enjoy pumpkin pie or writing bios for her articles. She hopes that Billy and Patricia will be bombarded with supportive cards and letters from this interview.