Soldier begins new career as reporter

We need more journalists like Sgt. Kelli Lane.

The St. Tammany News reports on a Louisiana native who was called up to active duty in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, served in Iraq, and made the difficult decision to re-enlist despite having three children to care for. The article delves into the soldier's emotions as she prepares to return to the war zone:

She said she looks forward to going back to Iraq to work as a press officer to the civilian press corps. However, she said her only regret is leaving her three children behind.

“You never appreciate your home until you leave it,” she said.

She said going back to Iraq would be an experience for her. Her first time over there, she said was “surreal.”

“It is a very old place. Parts of it are beautiful, but then the war has torn up a lot,” Lane said.

I was always surprised by how rare it was to encounter a military veteran in the various newsrooms I worked in. Hopefully, Lane will come home from Iraq safely and consider helping to fill that void, if she so desires. As the media faces daunting challenges in covering modern warfare, we need more perspective from people who have actually served.

On a less serious note, Lane talks about football:

Oh and she is a big Saints fan, and predicts with authority that the team is going to the Super Bowl.

“We are going to have a big party here at Fort Bragg when they win,” Lane said.

The Saints are here in Atlanta today to play the Falcons, and I was just sitting down to watch the game before my Redskins play in Oakland later this afternoon. I think I've figured out which team to root for.