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Sergeant Raw has had plenty of opportunities to meet local people during her tour. Official British Army photo. BASRAH — Sergeant Lainey Raw is finding her Army career more challenging than ever as she gets to grips with her third tour of duty with British forces in southern Iraq. Based at the Contingency Operating Base next to Basrah Airport, Sgt. Raw, 30, is personal assistant to the most senior military officer in southern Iraq, Major General Jonathan Shaw, General Officer Commanding Multi-National Division (South East).Lainey is responsible for dealing with all the administrative tasks that go with making sure a...

Soldiers look at deployment in many different ways. Some see it as a way of furthering their careers and some see it as a steppingstone to financial security. However, one soldier sees it as an opportunity to make a difference and he plans to make that difference as long as the Army will let him. Spc. Jonathan Laureles, a combat medic with the 29th Support Battalion, 29th Support Brigade, recently began his second consecutive tour in Iraq and already extended for a third, which will begin February 2006. Laureles works as a medic at the North Exit Control Point. He...