Sergeant Stephen Daniel Hypes of the US Army Reserve is happy to be back stateside. He discussed with Flash Clark what it's like to be shot at, Blackwater, and Saddam's buried fighter jets still awaiting his triumphant return.

Another Veteran's Day passes; flags are folded again and tucked respectfully away into storage, awaiting the next occasion to be unfurled. The hearts that days before were consumed with thoughts of those thousands of miles away fighting this awful war turn back again to the affairs of everyday life. The people continue steadily on, enjoying lives ultimately afforded of them by the sacrifices, trials and tribulations of a select few who chose to leave all that was safe and sound for a world of uncertainty and danger. I recently sat down with one such person, Sergeant Stephen Daniel Hypes of the US Army Reserve to learn a little about what it must be like to live in a combat zone.

16B's: So I hear it's not just a job, that it's an adventure—would you care to comment?

Hypes: Yeah it's definitely an adventure. I've seen a lot of the world while serving. I've been to Germany, the Netherlands, Holland, Iraq, Kuwait, and trained in or passed through Fort Benning Georgia, Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, and Bluegrass Army Depot in Kentucky, among other places.

16B's: What is your favorite place and why?

Hypes: Definitely Germany for the obvious reason.

16B's: Ah, women?

Hypes: Beer.

16B's: [Of course what was I thinking?] Seriously though, I play a lot of James Bond Golden Eye on the N64 and getting shot at pisses me off. Tell me just how bad does it suck to have that happen in real life?

Hypes: Well, it's never fun—especially when you don't know where the gunfire is coming from, which is oftentimes the case. The real danger is with the IED's and the growing use of EFPs (Explosively Formed Projectile). You can make an EFP out of a Coke can or pipe and it's powerful enough to pierce armored vehicles.

16B's: You essentially defend people's right to say things like, "Bush stinks!" and "Dick Sucks!" and you also defend people's right to protest the war- any hard feelings there?

Hypes: Not always. If people are protesting President Bush or policy I can have respect for that but it's when people protest the soldiers or what they are doing over there - they have no idea what it's like over there, like those protesters who show up to military funerals - I can't respect that.

16B's: I heard you were a private contractor. Is that true?

Hypes: Yeah, I was deployed in the invasion of Iraq with the Army Reserve from February '03 to March 04, then I worked for the private contractor Tetra Tech in an UXO, or Unexploded Ordinance removal unit for a year. Most of what we did was dig up and detonate ammo caches and munitions hidden and buried by Saddam. He was crazy, he even buried fighter jets thinking that he would come back and recover them. For the larger ordinances we would dig a big pit, neatly stack the unexploded ordinances and line them with C4 explosive, then use a bulldozer to fill the pit back in with dirt, and then blow it up. For smaller stuff like ammunition rounds we would dig a hole and bank it with dirt and just burn the rounds. I have some video of us doing this once. But on this occasion, it just so happened that the pit we were using had a larger unexploded ordinance in it from a previous disposal. We were watching the pit smoke from a few hundred yards away and listening to the rounds firing off which, sounded like popcorn popping. Then all a sudden there was this huge explosion from the shell or what ever it was in the pit and a plume of smoke and fire mushroomed into the sky. Then the bullets that were in the pit burning and discharging, having been blown up into the air, started firing everywhere. Bullets were raining down on us from out of the sky. On the video you can hear them hitting all around us.

16B's: There is a lot of heat right now over the security contractors there. What is your take on their image and their role in Iraq?

Hypes: Blackwater contractors have gotten a lot of bad publicity lately. I have a lot of friends who work for Blackwater and they are not mercenaries. They are usually veterans and swat team members: they are professionals doing a job. Armchair quarterbacking is easy when you're not there. People don't have any idea just how clever and shrewd this enemy is. The United states military is heavily dependent on private contractors. Without us, certain operations would shut down.

16B's: I suppose if it wasn't you digging up explosives, it would be US military personnel doing the same dangerous job?

Hypes: Exactly.

16B's: Years ago I asked my Dad, a Vietnam vet if he knew what he was fighting for back then. He said he thought he did but now he doesn't really know. Do you see a similar potential for this mindset for our troops serving now and if this war is just for oil why are we paying so much for gas?

Hypes: I do think there might be the potential for that but I also think that at one point Saddam actually did have some weapons and capabilities that were alarming but...if this war was originally for oil it certainly isn't anymore.

16B's: In the GI Joe cartoon, Duke and Scarlet shoot down Cobra fighter jets all day and nobody ever dies, yet, this war has cost tens of thousands of livesdo you think President Bush anticipated this when he based his invasion strategy on a cartoon?

Hypes: I don't think anyone anticipated this kind of insurgency but I also think that our post invasion strategy was not planned out very well. It was a little short sighted.

16B's: Are we fighting a good war or just trying not to look like any little punk nation with IED's can thwart our martial ability?

Hypes: Well, I think they've already proved that - I mean the US military is a conventional military and it is very good at managing conventional operations but we are fighting an unconventional enemy in an unconventional war. That's where we are having trouble.

16B's: Do you think that Iraq will become even more volatile if we suddenly just pulled out and left?

Hypes: Definitely. If left unchecked it would quickly become a haven for Al Queda.

16B's: I have a lot of friends who have joined the military, and even I have felt a magnetism toward enlistment- what the hell is wrong with us? Why would anyone feel compelled to join up right now?

Hypes: Well...they're handing huge bonuses for one thing, though my recruiter would probably hate me for saying that, but it's kind of true. But you know, there is still a strong sense of patriotism in this country. There are still people out there willing to join because they feel a call to serve their country. Some people have wanted to be a soldier since they were a little kid, some wanted to be a fireman or a cop- didn't you ever want to be something as a kid. I just always felt like it was something I needed to do and finally I got to the point where I decided it was time.

16B's: I heard that your great grandfather served in WWI and was laid to rest at the cemetery on Roanoke and Harding Street. Did his service influence you at all?

Hypes: Yeah, my family has historically been involved in the military. My great great great grandfather was in the civil war and died in a prison camp in New York.

16B's: Do you have anything heart warming that can be said of your experience in the war? Any Kodak moments for the critics.

Hypes: When we were entering Iraq through Kuwait during the invasion, when we first crossed over, there were people lining the streets begging for food and waving American flags. We were expecting the worst so it was strange, but nice having that warm reception. Of coursed it cooled once we didn't leave. I thanked Seargent Hypes for his time and candidness, finished the cheap beer I managed with the change I had left over from doing laundry and watched as he and his girlfriend who had arrived part of the way through the interview, made googly eyes at each other. He had said earlier that if it wasn't for her, he would be back in Iraq right now, digging up who knows what, dodging bullets while fighting an unseen enemy. Who knows? Maybe the answer is simple. Maybe peace isn't so far away. Maybe love does conquer all. Now all we have to do is get the Middle East to hook up with a cool chick.