“You Join The Infantry To Shoot Stuff And Blow Stuff Up”: Two Iraq Deployments With The Screaming Eagles

Chris Fay grew up in Oklahoma and Texas before his Dad was laid off at work and his Mom joined the Army to support the family. Part of his childhood was spent at Fort Irwin, California, where he spent much of his time hiking through the desert and hunting. It was there, in a conversation with his step-father, that he realized he wanted to join the Army and serve in the Infantry. His Mom transferred to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, during Chris’s high school years, and there he met his future wife. After graduating from high school, he joined the Army. After basic training, he returned to Fort Campbell, and joined the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. During his time in service, he deployed twice to Iraq. Chris is currently completing college on the G.I. Bill to get his degree in education, and plans to teach high school history. In this interview, he describes his childhood, his difficulties in high school, and his constant desire to join the Army. He examines his time in basic training, and the reception he received when he first joined the 187th Infantry Regiment. He discusses several of his leaders and what made them effective. He talks, in-depth, about his deployments and his feelings about being retained under “Stop-Loss” during his second deployment. Finally, he explains what his service means to him.