If you walk into room A201, you will find a classroom filled with formulas, calculations, lab utensils and the physics teacher, David Kasprzyk. He may seem as just a normal physics teacher, but actually he is one of our very own veterans.

 At the age of 27, Kasprzyk decided to join our nation’s armed forces. “I’ve always thought I wanted to do it, but I kept talking myself out of it,” Kasperzyk said. “Finally at 27, I joined.”

On December 7^th 2003, Kasprzyk got his first call for deployment. On March 12^th 2004, his unit shipped overseas. The thought of sharing a new society with the enemy was a little tense for Kasprzyk. “There were always nervous times for me,” Kasprzyk said. “Someone is actually trying to hurt you now. It’s not a game anymore.”

 Kasprzyk’s unit was stationed in a small town just north of Baghdad called Altaji.  Iraqi culture was a major change from Kasprzyk’s American lifestyle. “The food was different, the hygiene was different,” Kasprzyk said, “men could even walk down streets holding hands, but it just meant they were friends.”

 American soldiers had much interaction with the Iraqis.  “Most were friendly, but there were still some who were resentful of us,” Kasprzyk said. “We had to learn a little of the language, but we mostly used please and thank you.

 While being stationed in Iraq, Kasprzyk served as an engineer. “We built stuff, expanded airfields, made rail-road crossings for tanks, and remodeled barracks,” Kasprzyk said.  Even though Kasprzyk was not in the fighting infantry, he stilled witnessed some threats.  “We had mortar round shot at us constantly near our base,” Kasprzyk said. “One even landed right by the barrack were I was at.”

 Kasprzyk returned safe and sound to the U.S. and his family on March 10^th 2005. CHS is proud of our veterans and is thankful that we have brave teachers such as Kasprzyk who are willing to protect our country so we can live peacefully every day.