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Soldier Tells Kids About War in Afghanistan
Thursday, June 13, 2002
By Helen Bennett Harvey
Milford Bureau Chief
The New Haven Register

Despite the somber nature of some of the information, students also clearly enjoyed soaking up details of Army life, uniforms, food and training.

WOODBRIDGE -- NHR
U.S. Army Lt. Philip Dickinson amused pupils at Beecher Road School Wednesday by telling them that Silly String would have come in handy while searching for booby traps in the caves of Afghanistan.

Those same pupils, however, clearly knew that Dickinson's nearly six-month mission in that war-torn nation was a deadly serious part of keeping America safe from terrorism.

"How do you know that the person you are shooting at is not on your side?" asked student Brandon Silver, 10.

The answer, Dickinson told a group of fifth-graders, is that one of the hardest parts of a military operation is determining who the "friendlies" are. To demonstrate one technique for such determinations, Dickinson showed students an orange nylon flag.

"If they don't see the orange, then it's probably a bad guy," Dickinson explained.
(More: Zwire News Source)
2002 © The New Haven Register.

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