An American Fighting Against ISIS | The New York Times

I think it would be hard for us to find a
conflict anytime soon

that is so black and white, and easy to
pick a side in.

Yeah, I did hope for something like that.

I did hope that there would be a chance
to split some heads, yeah.

You know, I have no quarrels with
religion of Islam

The problem with ISIS is they're a-
they're not people.

The things they are doing are horrible.

-Reserve it

My name is Patrick Maxwell.

In December I traveled to Sulaymaniyah,
Kurdistan

to join the Kurdish Peshmerga and fight
against ISIS.

-We have round incoming right now

-This is very clear. There is a band
of marauders who rape women and children

and sell them into sexual slavery,

versus a people who have been
fighting for their homeland for years.

It was also a chance to have a story that
no one else could be, I guess

and have an adventure while doing it.

When I'm enlisted, I'm there to serve
my country, protect my country,

obey the orders of the officers
appointed over me.

As a private citizen, I'm going to have
an adventurous sense

and that's my own business.

I figured it out by just using Google
and Facebook, honestly.

I talked to some people that put me in
contact with a Peshmerga lieutenant.

I wore my old Marine Corps uniform
just because it was what I had.

My armored plate carrier over that.

A set of boots, magazine pouches.

I bought a plane ticket, from
Austin to Sulemaniyah and went.

When I touched down, it was probably
3 or 4 in morning,

so dark obviously.

They took me to a nearby base and
we stayed there for a while.

Peshmerga fighters, for 6 weeks.

They're a good bunch of dudes.

Kind of mismatched uniforms and weapons
stuff like that.

Eat flatbread and rice for 2 to 3 meals a
day.

It was different, a lot different to
say, a US military base.

I would sleep on the floor of a ship
container right next to them,

carry the same AK-47 they carry.

(inaudible) this is the toliet

What we saw was more of a trench
warfare type scenario.

Just, we've got a trench line, they've
got a trench line.

Anywhere from 100 to 1000 meters away

and everyone has got flags up

and we just watch each other,

occasionally shoot at each other.

The local reaction to us was good.

They were very hospitable,

they're very gracious people,

they're very exited to have
some westerners there.

I had a ball cap,
I kept the Texas flag patch on it.

It was great because they'd always ask me:

"You're American, where are you from?"

I'd show them the flag, say "Texas",

everyone's face lit up.

Saying "Oh, George Bush Texas"

because everyone knows George Bush and
loves him over there.

Pretty funny.

-Hello

Talking to the Special Forces
advisors that we met there

and they let us know that
unofficially it's kind of cool

what we're doing. But the official
word from the consulate was

that, you know, obviously we shouldn't
be there we needed to go home.

I think after our experience the Peshmerga
had pretty much put their foot down and said

"We don't want any more
westerners coming over here

because frankly we'd rather have,

you know, weapons and training more than
western volunteers.

(singing)

When I look back at it,
it was a cool experience,

it was still a cool story.

If there was a chance to take
all the politics out of the situation

and I would go straight to the front line
with a weapon in my hand

and actually take part of
the stuff on a large scale,

but, yeah, I'd go back tomorrow.