Acorn

It�s bear with a J.� Jump starting the interview with a humble beginning, freshman Berj Merjanian talks about the pronunciation of his first name. �It�s 100 percent Armenian,� he said. Merjanian is known for his kind attitude, simple living, but most of all for his service in the United States Marine Corps.

Merjanian�s home since the day he was born has been Valley Cottage, N.Y. He is the youngest of three children and has one older sister and brother. He did all his schooling in Valley Cottage and then attended a community college for two years. After those two years, he decided to join the Marine Corps where he served for four years. Merjanian did not have a typical job, though. He worked as a mechanic prior to his four years of service, and then had to train for a year for his job at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma.

�I dealt with the Harrier Aircraft, which has many unique traits,� Merjanian said. �The jet tops out at nearly Mach 1 but is known for its vertical maneuvering. The Harrier Jet lifts off and lands vertically rather than the common built up speed and take off mechanism used in many jets today.�

For the first three years of his service he worked in North Carolina, Fla. and more states out west. Then he was transferred to Afghanistan at the end of his five-year contract.

Merjanian worked 36-hour shifts with a joint task force doing round-the-clock missions in search of the Taliban.

�A joint task force is collaboration between the Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines,� Merjanian said, while explaining the people he lived with during his time in Iraq. He was situated at the Bagrahm Air Base, which was originally made by the Russians in the 1980s before it was taken over by the Taliban, and is now used by the United States.

�Guerrilla warfare was not an uncommon occurrence on the base,� Merjanian said. He explained how attacks to the base happened almost daily. His military efforts were not in vain.

�We were situated in the area to bring peace and stability in Northern Afghanistan,� he said.

Merjanian also mentioned that natural beauty still existent in Afghanistan.

�You can read Afghanistan�s history by just standing on a mountain. The land is untouched and filled with housing methods that haven�t been changed since their ancient ancestors,� he said.

Merjanian talked about how incredibly nice the Afghanis treated him and how badly he felt for their persecution under the Taliban government.

�They are not stupid people,� he said. �They are actually incredibly keen. We were there to give them a boost, to start them on their development.�

A regular shift in Iraq lasted for six months, but Merjanian served 11 and a half months, �There is no definite time frame there,� he said.

After he served, Merjanian came back to the United States and worked for a small business that designed modern gear for the troops in Afghanistan. After working for about a year, he then came to Drew to study political science and Middle Eastern studies.

�I love it here,� Merjanian said of his life at Drew. �The professors are great and work well with the students.� He spends his days with ease at Drew and is very thankful for the life he has. Merjanian�s attitude and view on life shatter any thoughts of despair about the troops having any conscience at war.

�Every American should serve their country to fully comprehend this great land we live in,� he said.

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