FARMINGTON – Iraq war veteran Sgt. Michael Collins of Livermore Falls said this week that helping to rebuild the country was one of his proudest achievements.
The University of Maine at Farmington graduate addressed a crowd there Tuesday night, telling them of his experiences as part of the Maine National Guard 133rd Engineering Battalion deployed in Mosul from March 2004 to last February.
“We outdid the battalion before us and made life easier for the one to follow,” he said.
Charlie Company of the 133rd had two main missions: To help rebuild the country and to deal with explosives, he said.
Collins used his skills as a carpenter and mason to help build a chapel, which he said was one of his proudest achievements.
He also spoke about the dangers he and his fellow soldiers had to face. He recalled the bombing of the Camp Marez mess tent that killed several soldiers.
“It sounded like artillery was falling right next to the building I was in,” he said. It was like being in an out-of-body experience, almost like a dream, he said.
Collins thanked his professors for their support of his military service situation, and for helping him to complete his work for his bachelor’s degree in political science in December 2003.
Seabren Reeves, treasurer of the UMF College Republicans, which sponsored the talk, introduced Collins and called him a courageous American who was fulfilling an honorable American tradition.
“This wasn’t a partisan issue; we really wanted to see what went on firsthand over there,” Reeves said.
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