Charles Hartwig, 27, left behind a wife and baby daughter to train for the war in Iraq in 2005. After spending six months training with the Minnesota National Guard at Camp Shelby in Mississippi, Hartwig was off to Kuwait and then to Iraq.

This week, Hartwig talked to us about his experiences as a non-commissioned officer with the 125th field artillery, how the people of Iraq have treated him and his crew, and the family he misses as he serves his country.

Check back here and in upcoming issues of the Prior Lake American for more of Hartwig's story.