Reporting from Iraq The curse is broken

I felt like the Red Sox of reporters.

That might be stretching it—a lot. But I did break a curse, if only a few-months-old one.

The second platoon of Alpha Co. of the 1-17 is a little superstitious. Sgt. Michael Steffey attributes that to the fact that he’s a former paratrooper, a line of work that is inherently superstitious.

He explained his and his squad’s routine before each mission: They must conduct a precise radio check; he must pat a picture of a pretty girl hanging in the vehicle for good luck; and as the vehicle barrels down a small hill on its way out of base, everyone standing out of a hatch must raise their arms as if they are on a rollercoaster.

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