Krista Dora

Even though women are banned from combat positions, Krista Dora often found herself in the middle of the war from her perch on tower guard.
“There are no front lines in Iraq. You’re there.”
Dora spent eight hour shifts in the open tower under frequent fire as she watched a notoriously dangerous road, MSR Tampa.
“In the Army, we call it IED alley. It’s where all the IEDs and the bombs and explosions go off. You’re watching all the convoys going by and making sure they’re not being blown up. You’re also in charge of watching a huge Iraqi village where there are a lot of people walking around with AK-47s and bombs.”
Dora said she expected the war to be what she saw in the news and movies or heard about from other veterans, but as she stood in the guard post she realized it was quite different.
“There’s definitely no comparison as far as seeing it and being there 24/7 for X amount of time compared to a video game or a movie,” she said. “I did the real thing.”
Dora had dreamed of being a soldier since she was a kid.  
“I wanted to go because I love our country, and I love the freedoms that we have and I believe in fighting for them.”
Now she motions to her black T-shirt that says, “Iraq Veterans Against the War.” After experiencing life as a soldier, she is no longer disillusioned by her childhood dreams.
“I support our troops, but I’m against the war.”