Crossing the threshold from the terminal into the airport, Cleberg’s unit was met by a wall of supporters: Everyone from elderly, retired couples to young children yawning with fatigue. Despite the hour, the devoted greeters applauded and clamored to shake Cleberg’s hand — and the hand of every single person in his unit — in gratitude for their service to the country.

“Where the rest of the U.S. might not have been so supportive in the whole event, these people were so supportive and went out of the way to come to the airport and greet us,” Cleberg said of his return.

While in Iraq, the current MSU economics senior served in a personal security detachment. Cleberg guarded a base, safely escorting negotiators and sheiks throughout the countryside surrounding Ramadi, a central city west of Baghdad.

Nearly a decade since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and after seven and a half years of the Iraq war, many veterans such as Cleberg are coming home. In an Aug. 31 national address, President Barack Obama officially announced the end of combat operations in Iraq, saying 100,000 U.S. troops had left the country.

It’s easiest to see the effects of war in the soldiers hanging up their dust-stained uniforms, but living during a decade of war has irreversibly impacted every American citizen.

For his part, Cleberg said he better appreciates his life here and realizes what his life was serving in Iraq now that he’s home.

“You don’t really understand it when you’re there,” he said. “When there’s gunfire and bombs going off and they’re shooting rockets at you, its just like, that’s what is happening. … I just experienced it for a year, it’s behind me (and it’s time to) move on.”

Children of war

Only in fourth grade in 2001, general management freshman Drew Archer has grown up during wartime.

“(When the attacks occurred) I knew it was a big deal, but I didn’t really get how serious it was, and the effect on the whole country and the world,” Archer said.

When the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks took place nine years ago Saturday and launched America into a war with Afghanistan, most MSU students such as Archer were in elementary or middle school; students were slightly older when the Iraq invasion began in 2003.

Baghdad fell to U.S. forces two and a half weeks following the invasion and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled. But what followed were years of insurgencies, terrorist strikes and rebuilding.

Cleberg, now 25, was in high school on Sept. 11, 2001. Although he said it was not significant at the time, the anniversary means more to him now that he has served.

“It (was) an attack on our way of life,” Cleberg said. “It (was) an attack on all of us, our day-to-day lives.”

In addition to affecting soldiers, war affects the long-term worldview of children who grow up during wartime, said Matt Zierler, an MSU assistant professor of international relations.

“Students growing up today are maybe a little bit more pessimistic about the ability to use force to affect change,” Zierler said. “(Many) realize that maybe things like democratization and human rights are important, but maybe they would use more global grassroots efforts or use of NGOs and, say, not rely on military solutions.”

Without a military draft, the day-to-day lives of most students and civilians were not affected by the war. Thus, the media had complete control of their perceptions of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Toby Ten Eyck, MSU assistant professor of sociology.

“Most people here don’t know what a Muslim is, or Islam, except what they hear from the media,” Ten Eyck said.

“So you hear about people burning down mosques … because the media is telling them these are terrorists (and) this is the war on terrorism.”

But the general public holds some misconceptions about the war, Cleberg said.

“(Some people say) the war started with one person and it was ended with another, and I feel there’s a lot more planning than what a lot of the public has really seen,” Cleberg said. “It was oversimplifying.”

Coming home

War had the power to affect enlisted soldiers by way of multiple avenues. The end result, Cleberg said, was not always enjoyable.

Cleberg’s unit never lost a soldier. But many of his fellow troops came home to shattered lives.

“I watched a lot of people with relationships back home falling apart and people not supporting them back there,” Cleberg said, fighting emotion.

“Wives would bail on their husbands and take all their money. … Problems back home, you just can’t — Internet connections are unreliable, the phone connections are just unreliable and you have to have someone be your power of attorney. It’s just really difficult to get things done if you have problems.”

In the final months of his deployment, Cleberg decided to enroll at MSU. He previously had attended MSU for a year before enlisting in the National Guard. His plan was to take part in ROTC programs at MSU, but ultimately, he embarked for basic training and was given an opportunity to leave for Iraq after basic was over.

He returned to MSU in 2009, within weeks of his return home.

“I went straight back into classes, so it was just like keep on working (and) keeping busy,” Cleberg said. “There was a little bit of anxiety, crossing the street … I wouldn’t drive … I think you just get tense.”

He’s still committed to the military, training to become an officer through the MSU Army ROTC.

The program has seen an increase in the number of cadets since the war started, said Lt. Col. James Rouse, chairman of the MSU Department of Military Science.

“Just because combat operations have been declared finished in Iraq doesn’t mean the job has been finished,” Rouse said. “There’s a strong sense of patriotism that parents and students alike understand that (serving) is part of being an American.”

Veterans’ groups such as the MSU chapter of Student Veterans of America are working to make the shift from soldier to student as smooth as possible for the many veterans who come to college with financial support from the military.

The group, which began last year, is planning a slate of events for Veterans Week and is working with the university to create a Veterans’ Center on campus, said political science senior Matt Patton, a Navy veteran and spokesman for the group.

“We may have taken our uniforms off and placed those in the closet, but the hat of public service is something that we’ll wear for the rest of our lives,” Patton said. “It’s something we’re doing right now in service to MSU, our community and, of course, our military brethren.”

Moving on

In his Oval Office address hailing the end of combat, Obama emphasized the need for the nation to move forward from the Iraq conflict.

“This milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that the future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment,” Obama said during the address.

Despite the optimistic end to war in Iraq, about 50,000 troops still remain in the country to assist with advising and rebuilding. This involvement will continue to shape the nation, Zierler said.

“This war was more complex than when it was just about defeating an enemy,” Zierler said. “It’s still this process of nation building. … In addition to helping to rebuild a government system, you also have to help rebuild public infrastructure. That’s a much harder aspect of a war.”

How the United States’ leaders and citizens cope with the wind down of operations in the Middle East during the next few years could shape the country’s outlook for decades to come, Zierler said.

“Given that Obama has changed the course of the U.S. engagement in Iraq and given that Afghanistan is under review, you would suggest the next several years are going to be quite critical as to what’s going to happen next,” Zierler said. “(This) generation is going to be a bit more firm in (their) outlook after the Obama administration.”

No matter how U.S. foreign policy changes, Cleberg said serving his country remains his career.

“I love doing this, so (getting thanked) is good but, like, I should be thanking them, for paying taxes or something, you know? You’re paying me to do what I like,” Cleberg said.

After he finishes with the ROTC program and graduates from MSU, Cleberg hopes to serve overseas again.
“It’s that little bit of camaraderie,” Cleberg said.

“People are going to be out there. It’s going to be how it is for the moment, and I think it should be me.”