VOA标准英语2011--US Troops Return from Iraq to Reflect on Their Future

US Troops Return from Iraq to Reflect on Their Future

Thousands of troops have been returning to bases in the United States as Washington completes its drawdown of forces in Iraq. At Fort Hood¹ in the U.S. State of Texas, where planeloads of soldiers have been arriving ahead of a December 31st deadline to withdraw from Iraq.

Home for the holidays, with a hero's welcome. This was the last of several deployments in Iraq for U.S. Army Major Mike Williams. “It's a sensational² experience and the feeling is, I guess, of euphoria," he said.

Williams is one of the tens of thousands leaving Iraq after President Obama's decision to bring home the troops by the end of the year.

After eight years and with more than 4,000 Americans killed, troops are back on home soil. Thousands are returning to Fort Hood alone, turning in their guns, and preparing for life at home.

The smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies, and hugs from his children mean for Williams that he is home, and this time he can plan to stay for some time.

His wife, Royann, has been on her own with the children. She says she is not sure if this was the right time for U.S forces to leave Iraq but she savors³ the moment of her husband's return.

“It's wonderful. We haven't been able to stop smiling and get the house decorated for Christmas because we waited for him and it's been wonderful," she said.

She reflects on the suffering and the sacrifice that her family has had to make in the past eight years and says that for her, none of it was in vain if it means her children will live in a safer world. “I would rather try to fight the terrorists on another soil than our own and if he had to go back as many times as he did, for our children hopefully not to have to go back over there. As long as it was done right this time, it's definitely worth it," she said.

Williams came under fire several times in Iraq. He brings back a bronze medal. But he says the biggest reward is knowing that he did his part to make his country safer by ridding Iraq of Saddam Hussein and fighting terrorist groups like al Qaida. “It was a great accomplishment⁴ in terms of, we've liberated⁵ a nation, we've taken care of the enemy on his soil, versus⁶ having him coming to the United States and attacking us again. And I think in the long run I think it has saved a lot of soldiers and a lot of civilians⁷ in our country from having to make the ultimate sacrifice and having another 9-11," he said.

Williams, like thousands of others returning to Fort Hood, is going through a reintegration program and getting ready for his new role as a soldier at base. “(My) personal plan now is to reintegrate with my family, get reset⁸, refit, go back to my unit after the holidays and start getting our unit going through that whole refit process that you do when you reset all your equipment, get back into soldiering again," he said.

Williams says the war against terrorism is not finished and his job now is to get ready for the next engagement, whenever and wherever it may be.

For his family, this homecoming marks the advent⁹ of a new period of peace at home.

1 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

2 sensational   

adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的

参考例句：

• Papers of this kind are full of sensational news reports.这类报纸满是耸人听闻的新闻报道。
• Their performance was sensational.他们的演出妙极了。

3 savors   

v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的第三人称单数 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝

参考例句：

• His talk savors, of self-conceit. 他的谈话给人以自负的感觉。 来自辞典例句
• This sauce savors, of lemon. 这个调味酱有柠檬味。 来自辞典例句

4 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

5 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

6 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

9 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。