MAJ Lamont Bryant served as a field artillery officer with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, 212th Field Artillery Brigade during 2005 and 2006 in the International Zone (IZ), Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). In this November 2009 interview, MAJ Bryant discusses his disappointment at finding out that rather than deploying as a battery commander, he would be controlling access to the IZ as a staff officer, his typical day, and the frustrations of his unusual and politically charged position. MAJ Lamont concludes his interview by observing that " no group of people is different from any other. Cultures are different, the way people believe is different, but we all laugh. We all cry."

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