dianavan: the us dept of defense awards the medal based on criteria similar to awarding the congressional medal of honor... you don't automatically receive one for being wounded or killed...

michaelr: my suggestion for reading the interview was to help folks like you better understand why there are civilians doing jobs the military traditionally used to do... my reasons for being here are not necessarily anyone else's, and i will not spout self-righteous rhetoric about supporting the troops... i'm not inferring that others who actually feel that way are self-righteous or less than honest... and i never meant to insinuate those were my reasons... thats beside the point anyway given that your opinion of civilian presence over here is what it is... true, none of us (civilian contractors) were required to come over here... but your passing judgment on individuals who have found gainful employment delivering necessities and creature comforts to those who are here because they are required to be says more about yourself than any of us... if i can make a decent wage, travel the world, see things i would never have the chance to see from some desk job in a corporate-world office (working for a company who is probably affiliated with this whole enterprise here in the me/ca theater anyway - you'd be surprised at how many corporations are involved; it's not just HAL/KBR), why should you judge me based on your own personal opinions and political standings? i could give less than a shiat about what you think, and i do not intend to debate morality with someone such as yourself, or anyone who mentions 'you will be judged...' for this or that... that in and of itself provides enough of a glimpse into your sanctimonious, pretentious, leftist undertones to know that this is the ONLY time i will ever waste a response to you... but i make no guarantees... :)

Cheers (loved that show... but can't for the life of me figure out why so many brits end emails with a tv show name),

just another expat