A Year Two Years in the Life of an American Diplomat in Iraq Welcome to “Wing Tips on the Ground,” a blog about my experiences as a US diplomat serving in Iraq. I am a career member of the United States Foreign Service and served as a Public Diplomacy Officer on a State Department-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in southern Iraq from July 2008 to July 2009. In a few short months, I will return to Iraq for a second year to serve as the Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. I began blogging about Iraq as a way to keep friends and family back home updated on my life in the desert and had little ambition or desire to answer the bigger questions about the US presence in Iraq. Rather, I wanted to provide my friends (and Foreign Service colleagues in other parts of the world) with my own personal observations of Iraq, its people, and the challenges we all face together. So many of the loudest voices discussing Iraq these days are those who have spent the least amount of time actually in Iraq and among Iraqis. Since 2008, readership has grown and, while Wing Tips hasn’t gone viral, visitors from more than 75 countries around the world have logged on. I should state at the outset that this blog represents my own personal thoughts and observations about Iraq. It is unofficial and has no affiliation with the U.S. Department of State. When I began blogging, I vowed to steer clear of making policy observations - too many made already - and I’ve tried to honor this commitment. So with that said, I hope you find my observations about Iraq, both profound and mundane, useful and informative. To get started reading, click here. Sincerely, 
Aaron D. Snipe aaronsnipe@gmail.com http://www.wingtipsontheground.com/Site/IRAQ_-_Wing_Tips_on_the_Ground_Blog/Entries/2009/3/9_Finding_their_voice.htmlmailto:aaronsnipe@hotmail.comshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1

Wing Tips on the Ground