Tulsi Gabbard

I mean, I had friends of mine who were from Hawaii, who were from American Samoa, very culturally tight knit community who confided in me throughout that, you know, year that we were there. Some of the very infantry soldiers who were going out on security patrols and, and doing raids every day, um, just some of the very traumatic experiences that they went through.

No physical injury, but creating a kind of emotional stress and trauma that as human beings they were struggling in dealing with.

No physical injury, but creating a kind of emotional stress and trauma that as human beings they were struggling in dealing with.

No physical injury, but creating a kind of emotional stress and trauma that as human beings they were struggling in dealing with.

Um, on a positive note, you know, I, the Polynesian culture, especially, but, but also Asian culture and other cultures around the world, our guys found that as they were shortly after we got there, the unit that we were replacing, you know, we're taking the guys out on patrol and saying, Hey, here's this village.

Um, on a positive note, you know, I, the Polynesian culture, especially, but, but also Asian culture and other cultures around the world, our guys found that as they were shortly after we got there, the unit that we were replacing, you know, we're taking the guys out on patrol and saying, Hey, here's this village.

Um, on a positive note, you know, I, the Polynesian culture, especially, but, but also Asian culture and other cultures around the world, our guys found that as they were shortly after we got there, the unit that we were replacing, you know, we're taking the guys out on patrol and saying, Hey, here's this village.

Here's where we found friendlies, or here's where we know that there are insurgents operating and they've got allies and lookouts and, you

Here's where we found friendlies, or here's where we know that there are insurgents operating and they've got allies and lookouts and, you

Here's where we found friendlies, or here's where we know that there are insurgents operating and they've got allies and lookouts and, you

And what our guys found was that as they were doing these ride-alongs, they call it a left seat, right seat, when you're coming in and taking over, that there was a bit of a tense, even adversarial type of relationship where on the military side, there was an assumption of suspicion or lack of trust, just with the local Iraqi people who lived around the base that we were at.

And what our guys found was that as they were doing these ride-alongs, they call it a left seat, right seat, when you're coming in and taking over, that there was a bit of a tense, even adversarial type of relationship where on the military side, there was an assumption of suspicion or lack of trust, just with the local Iraqi people who lived around the base that we were at.

And what our guys found was that as they were doing these ride-alongs, they call it a left seat, right seat, when you're coming in and taking over, that there was a bit of a tense, even adversarial type of relationship where on the military side, there was an assumption of suspicion or lack of trust, just with the local Iraqi people who lived around the base that we were at.

And without anybody telling them to culturally, our guys began trying to build relationships. And for Hawaii and Samoa, and we had soldiers from Guam and Saipan, Little things like you're riding down in a Humvee, you've got a gunner in the turret with a .50 cal or a machine gun of some sort.

And without anybody telling them to culturally, our guys began trying to build relationships. And for Hawaii and Samoa, and we had soldiers from Guam and Saipan, Little things like you're riding down in a Humvee, you've got a gunner in the turret with a .50 cal or a machine gun of some sort.

And without anybody telling them to culturally, our guys began trying to build relationships. And for Hawaii and Samoa, and we had soldiers from Guam and Saipan, Little things like you're riding down in a Humvee, you've got a gunner in the turret with a .50 cal or a machine gun of some sort.

Little things like pointing the muzzle to the sky as you're riding through a town rather than pointing it directly at where people are walking down the street was a huge gesture of an assumption of, hey... let's actually talk and become friends. We had our guys riding down the street and throwing shakas out to the local people there, breaking bread, sharing tea, and building those relationships.

Little things like pointing the muzzle to the sky as you're riding through a town rather than pointing it directly at where people are walking down the street was a huge gesture of an assumption of, hey... let's actually talk and become friends. We had our guys riding down the street and throwing shakas out to the local people there, breaking bread, sharing tea, and building those relationships.

Little things like pointing the muzzle to the sky as you're riding through a town rather than pointing it directly at where people are walking down the street was a huge gesture of an assumption of, hey... let's actually talk and become friends. We had our guys riding down the street and throwing shakas out to the local people there, breaking bread, sharing tea, and building those relationships.

And again, I served in a medical unit, and what we saw was a downward shift in casualties from the unit that had been there before us, simply because of that... that basic human connection that our guys sought to make.