Behind the politics of war, the reality of combat is often forgotten. Thursday evening, Lt. Col. Scott Rutter, who led troops in a successful capture of the Saddam Hussein International Airport during Operation Iraqi Freedom, recounted his experiences in the war.
Rutter, who was the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry in Iraq this past spring, greatly emphasized the "phenomenal performance" and the "unprecedented acts of valor" that this generation of soldiers exhibited.
In his speech, which was sponsored by the Penn College Republicans and the Conservative Student Fellowship, Rutter gave a detailed account of the whole sequence of events in the mission. He recounted how his life changed after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. At that time, Rutter said, army officials "knew the threat was real."
Rutter described the tactical preparations that the troops had to undergo -- from their time spent at the new Technological Training Center to the road that led his troops into Baghdad and eventually to the Saddam Hussein International Airport, now renamed Baghdad International Airport.
"No other civilization in the world could do what our army did," Rutter said, emphasizing the soldiers' "great ability to adapt."
In addition to the strategic outline of his operation, Rutter described the joking and the compassionate sides of his soldiers. Rutter had a total of 900 soldiers under his command, whose average age was 23. Every day these soldiers encountered many difficulties -- the weather, overcrowding, and the ever-present anxiety -- but Rutter maintained that the soldiers were able to persevere.
He recounted the deaths of four of his soldiers during a typical procedural check of a civilian-looking car. Although they were the standard 20 feet away from the car when an explosive detonated, the soldiers lost their lives. These were four of the 10 soldiers under Rutter's command that never made it home.
"The most important [objective] was to topple the Saddam Hussein regime," Rutter said, adding that the troops were able to accomplish it with great efficiency. Rutter admitted that the army "took some risks," but added that they were necessary.
Throughout his speech, Rutter's message was positive.
"Your generation is doing the right thing over there," Rutter said.
He added praise for the soldiers still in Iraq. "It makes me proud and I have all the trust and confidence."
The audience varied from undergraduates to retired army officials.
"I wanted to hear the situation from someone who was actually there," Wharton junior and College Republicans member David Copley said. "I was really impressed by the valor of the American soldier," the former Daily Pennsylvanian columnist added.
