Today we start an occasional series about local soldiers returning recently from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Steven Hunter

Age: 29

Hometown: Longview

Personal status: Married with two kids, ages 3 and 8

Military branch: National Guard

Mission history: Just returned home from his second deployment in Iraq of 9 months in Iraq, and 12 months away from home.

Q. What was your job while you were in Iraq?

Team Leader/ Squad Leader.

Q. What does a Team leader/ squad leader do?

Team leaders runs a team out on convoys and provide security. A squad leader runs about six teams, makes sure everybody has all their equipment and makes sure everybody is prepared for what they are doing. We were a recovery platoon. So if something happened, like a vehicle broke down or was blown up, we would go out provide security and bring the truck back. Team leaders are usually in charge of two to four soldiers, squad leaders are in charge of about 17 soldiers.

Q. What was the most eye-opening thing you experienced?

The people’s ability to live in such poor conditions. They have the ability to be a wealthy country, but most of them are running around without shoes. … At one time Iraq was doing fairly well.

Q. Where were you stationed?

Mosul, located in northern Iraq.

Q. What is Mosul like?

It’s kind of like Portland meets Tijuana. A lot of broken up buildings and mounds and mounds of garbage everywhere. Kids running around in tattered clothing. But also areas where kids are wearing nice clothes and going to school. But even the nice areas are not what we are used to. Most days it smelled fine, but some days, when the wind would come in smelled like garbage, and like a rotting smell. The temperature was 105 to 120 in the summer, but in the 80s in the winter.

Q. What was it like stepping off the plane in Iraq?

I thought, this is my new home. I’ve been all over, but it's a pretty nice post. The closer you get to Turkey, the more it looks like Eastern Washington.

Q. Is there one big experience that sticks out in your mind?

The first day we landed in Mosul, we were told the plane we arrived on was going to bring back a few soldiers who had died.

Q. What did you miss most, other than family?

I missed Nipps burgers and fries. I went and got one when I was home in between training.

Q. What are you doing now?

I was working for Boise Cascade before I left. I don’t have a job yet, but I’m looking.

Q. Is there anything people should know about what’s going on Iraq?

It’s still very much going on. Troops are still fighting and dying and trying to make a positive impression over there. There are whole units that are designed to talk to the people and make sure kids get books and into school. There is a lot of good going on. It’s hard to be in a country where nobody likes you, but we are trying to do the right thing when we’re there.

 If you have a friend or family member you’d like to see featured in our Return from War series, please e-mail City Editor Andre Stepankowsky at andre@tdn.com or mail your request to him at The Daily News, P.O. Box 189, Longview, WA 98632.