An ISU student holds Veterans Day closer to his heart after returning from Doha, Qatar, where he spent almost nine months serving in the Iraq war.

Private First Class Jim Doolittle, sophomore in pre-business, spent almost nine months there, serving in the Army’s 949th medical detachment.

As a food inspector, Doolittle’s duties included inspecting food for bugs, throwing out spoiled food and performing quality control inspections on military MRE — meals ready to eat.

Temperatures in Qatar reached 135 degrees Fahrenheit with about 95 percent humidity, Doolittle said. He said there was a lot of time for self reflection, to think about home and his friends and family there. During the detachment’s downtime, soldiers watched DVDs on portable DVD players.

“On a practical day-to-day basis, it was boring,” he said.

Doolittle said his time in Qatar was an “emotional roller coaster” experience.

“The hardest part was the anticipation of coming home,” he said. “Never knowing what was going on was the hardest.”

The detachment was told four times that they would be going home, then dates would get pushed back, and soldiers would have to complete more missions, he said.

Doolittle arrived in Des Moines Nov. 1. Libby Doolittle, Doolittle’s sister and sophomore in pre-business, said she and her mom went to the hotel to pick up her brother. After knocking on his door, she said she gave him a big hug.

“It was so good to see my brother, the one person who knows me best,” she said.

Doolittle said they picked up where they left off and everything was normal.

“It was a good feeling to interact with them again,” he said.

Doolittle said this Veterans Day will mean more to him since his time overseas. Now he knows first-hand what military life is like.

“For every bad thing that happens, there are 100 good things that happen,” he said.

Doolittle said he plans to visit Webster City, his hometown, to speak to his mother’s second-grade class about his experience.

“Little kids get so excited to see a soldier in an Army uniform,” he said.

Libby Doolittle said her family has always had a close connection to Veterans Day. Arthur Kelting, their grandfather, served in World War II, and an uncle served in Vietnam.

“This year it hits closer to home,” she said. “It makes you proud knowing that he served in a war and that he helped some people along the way.”

Arthur Kelting said Veterans Day has always been special to him.

“It’s a great thing that [Jim] did,” Kelting said.

The hardest part in the beginning was the uncertainty, Libby said.

“It made me realize how much I miss having him around,” she said.

Doolittle said his experience serving in a war has made him more independent and more blunt in conversations.

“I have a few different outlooks on things — some good and some bad,” he said.

Though Doolittle’s experience in the war against Iraq is over, he said the mementoes he brought back will remind him of his time in Qatar.

He brought back a live scorpion, as well as gold jewelry and pearl necklaces for family and friends.

Doolittle said his immediate plans are to find a job for the rest of the fall semester. For spring semester, he plans to move back into his fraternity, Delta Upsilon, 117 Ash Ave., and will begin taking classes again — he said he’s about a year and a half behind on his track to graduation.

“You got to put your head down, and eventually you’ll get through,” Doolittle said.

Although it’s back to the books for Doolittle now, the Army is not out of his life. He said he plans to make a career out of the Army, but would like to change jobs in the military.

There are many options to look into including becoming active after college — including staying in the reserves or becoming an Army officer through ROTC, Doolittle said.

“[My plans] are all up in the air,” he said. “As of right now, I am enjoying my free time.”