YOU GOTTA LOVE THIS SOLDIER'S ENTHUSIASM

I know you see all this death and destruction over here on TV and in the newspapers and it's constantly negative, but you never really hear about all the positive things going on here; we've helped a lot of people," Barnes said during a recent interview by satellite phone. "A lot of the families here consider us part of their families."...

"We've had an unbelievable response from the women here and good response from their husbands as well. [The women] have been submissive for so long and this is the first time they have felt empowered. It's a wonderful thing to watch."

Barnes' mother, Amanda Bynum-Carvalho, said Barnes was thanked personally for her work by President George W. Bush during his Thanksgiving visit to troops in Baghdad.

"Her commanding officer made sure she was right in front and the president put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek."