Photos by Spc. L.B. Edgar | 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment San Antonio native Sgt. Marco Rosas, 27, passes Iraqi children as he works to secure Nasser Wa Salam, a small town west of Baghdad.

Editor's note: Following is another installment in our occasional series that focuses on the young men and women in the military and the lives they lead.

When Michael Moreno learned of his deployment to Iraq, he wasn't surprised, nor was he particularly upset.

Not for selfish reasons, at least.

“I was more nervous for my soldiers, the ones I was leading into combat and taking care of,” said Moreno, a first lieutenant in the Army. “That was more nerve-wracking than anything. For myself, it was just duty.”

The experiences of his family members prepared the 29-year-old Moreno for this way of life.

Moreno, whose father was in the Army, moved around quite a bit growing up. He was born in El Paso and even lived in Japan for a while before his family settled in San Antonio.

Three years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, having seen his brother join the Marines shortly after the Twin Towers fell, Moreno signed up for the Army.

“I admire how a soldier is in terms of character and discipline,” Moreno told 210SA from Iraq, where he has been stationed for eight months. “I really admire those qualities.”

They aren't the only qualities integral to surviving in Iraq.

Most notably, a solid work ethic is key to carrying on in a war fought on foreign soil, he said.

“There's a lot of planning, a lot of training, a lot of preparation and a lot of rethinking,” said Moreno, second in command of his particular unit. “That way, when it's time to execute, it's almost like second nature.”

In his spare time, of which he says there is little, Moreno passes the hours by lifting weights, swimming in the pool or reading.

“What it takes to get your mind off of things,” he said.

That holds particularly true for Moreno, with what he's missing out on back home.

While he fights for his country in Iraq, Moreno's wife and 10-month-old daughter reside in Fort Lewis, Wash. The last time Moreno saw his daughter, Aaliyah, she was not quite 4 months old.

“That hurts, and I think about it at times,” Moreno said. “But we have people over here who are going through the same things. It helps to have that comfort.”

Moreno — an automated logistics specialist — is slated to return home in July, though he admits the remainder of his stay in Iraq will be “a long nine months.” If by chance his tour in Iraq is extended, as has been the case with many servicemen and women, Moreno is prepared to deal with the extra time away from his wife and infant daughter.

Until the time comes to see them again, phone calls from across the world have to suffice.

“I try to call at least every other day, but it's tough,” Moreno said. “I'm missing her as she's growing, missing the little things like first steps and first words.”

When it comes to fighting for his country, Moreno believes such sacrifices are necessary.

Nearly 4,000 American soldiers have died since the start of the Iraqi war, and Moreno spends ample time making sure he and his fellow soldiers don't add to that total. They spend their days in the blazing desert, training and retraining, driving from sector to sector to check on and ensure the proper use of fellow soldiers' equipment.

As for Moreno, he focuses on the day ahead — and not a minute later — to maintain a sense of optimism.

“I was fortunate enough to meet a general in basic training, and the best piece of advice he gave me was to take it one day at a time,” Moreno said. “If you wake up two days in a row and you don't want to be here, it's time to go.”

In a land where nine months can seem much longer, Moreno won't be going home any time soon.

And while he has grown somewhat accustomed to life in Iraq, fighting in a war that can safely be described as divisive, Moreno said he still longs for the little things in life. He misses driving around back home with no particular destination, a hot shower in his own home, playing with his daughter and falling asleep next to his wife.

As for those who are able to enjoy those very things on a daily basis in America, Moreno only hopes for their support.

“If I could say anything (to the people back home), it's that America should be proud of these young men and women and what they're going through,” he said. “We pray that those that support us continue to keep us in their prayers. These people out here are giving their lives and doing an honorable thing.”

CLINT HALE | 210SA