OK one your 17, which I believe its 18 is when you can join the american army.
Two, my family friend who lives across the street from me, his name is Brad Jenison and he is a Ranger Assistant 60 gunner (I think, that was when he was in Afghanistan awhile ago, I think hes a higher rank and different assignment now). So I talk with him A LOT about what is REALLY going on over in the middle east and what is false. (P.S. Hes been to Afghsnistan and Iraq and is going back to Iraq soon.)
Based on the info I gave you above:
Three, Iraq is not a constant battle, nor are there SET battlefields or Battles, Brad said his biggest day to day mission was finding the best air-contitioned building in Bhagdad (i think thats how you spell it) There are also MANY places you are able to go to get on the internet and send e-mails and such. But every e-mail that goes out is scanned for any important information about locations or missions that must be censored out

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Four, it is not as dangerous as what is ever one is talking about, YES IT WAS dangerous, but things have calmed down after the assault on falluja (don't know how to spell either). Brad and his team patroled the same streets in a HOT ZONE like 80 times and not once did any iraqi show any hostile movement or acts of voilence toward him and his team, he said that the Iraqis are accutally a very nice people, its just the T.V. cameras that capture all the bad Middle Eastern people at their worst becuase its good television.