[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >>> SO ALL MONTH LONG, WE HAVE
BEEN HIGHLIGHTING THE STORIES OF EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN IN ITRIES OF
EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN IN IT CELEBRATION OF WOMENS HISTORY
MONTH.
MONTH.
AND DO WE HAVE A WOMAN FOR YOU! CAPTAIN AALIYAH MADINE SERVES IN
THE U.S. AIR FORCE AND THE
JOURNEY SHE HAS TAKEN TO GET THERE IS REMARKABLE.N TO GET
THERE IS REMARKABLE. HER STORY INCLUDES BEING
KIDNAPPED IN IRAQ WHEN SHE WAS JUST 8 YEARS OLD. WHEN SHE WAS
JUST 8 YEARS OLD. A RETURN TO HER MOTHER IN THE
UNITED STATES FOUR YEARS LATER AND ULTIMATELY JOINING THEATER
AND ULTIMATELY JOINING THE MILITARY TO FIGHT FOR AMERICA
RIGHT AFTER 9/11.
YES!
YES!
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] SHE IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN OF
IRAQI DESCENT, CURRENTLY
DEPLOYED IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS
AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, AND HAS
MADE IT, FOR SURE.
PLEASE WELCOME CAPTAIN AALIYAH NADINE.WELCOME CAPTAIN AALIYAH
NADINE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
SO YOUR DAD WAS IRAQI, YOUR MOM
WAS AMERICAN.
YOU WERE BORN HERE, YOU WERE
LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> YES.
>> AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED WHEN
YOU WERE 8 YEARS OLD?
>> SO MY FATHER BASICALLY SAID HE WANTED TO GO BACK TO IRAQ,D
HE WANTED TO GO BACK TO IRAQ, BECAUSE HIS MOTHER WAS SICK.
AND HE WANTED TO GO ON A FAMILY
VACATION.
VACATION.
SO WE ALL PACKED UP, ME AND MY MOM, SISTER, DAD.UP, ME AND MY
MOM, SISTER, DAD. AND THEN WENT TO IRAQ.
AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL
EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE I WAS
MEETING MY FAMILY FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
TIME.
AND THEN THE NIGHT BEFORE WE
WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE -- >> TO GO BACK TO THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES.
>> YES, MAAM. HE WAKES US UP AND HES LIKE,
HEY, DO YOU GUYS WANT TO GO GET
CANDY AND ICE CREAM, AND WHEN
YOURE 8 YEARS OLD AND YOUR
PARENTS WAKE YOU UP FOR CANDY
AND ICE CREAM.
>> ONLY ONE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.NE ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION.
>> YES.
SO I SAY YES, AND HE TAKES US TO
OUR AUNTS HOUSE AND WE HAVE
CANDY AND ICE CREAM AND HAVE A
GREAT TIME.
AND AS IM PLAYING WITH MY
SISTER, I REALIZE MY DAD IS NOT
THERE.
SO I START -- WHERE IS MY DAD.
AND THEY ALL SPEAK ARABIC, I SPEAK ENGLISH, I DONT KNOW WHAT
THEYRE SAYING.
THEYRE SAYING.
AND BEFORE I KNOW IT, IM STARTING TO CRY.W IT, IM
STARTING TO CRY. MY SISTER IS STARTING TO CRY.
AND IM LIKE, OKAY, WHAT AM I
GOING TO DO?
SO I CRIED MYSELF TO SLEEP THAT
NIGHT.
NIGHT.
BECAUSE MY DAD WASNT THERE. MY MOM WASNT THERE.T THERE.
MY MOM WASNT THERE. AND THEN I WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY,
AND MY DAD STILL WASNT THERE.
AND I -- THATS KIND OF WHEN MY
NIGHTMARE BEGAN.
NIGHTMARE BEGAN.
>> AND THE ULTIMATUM HE GAVE TO
YOUR MOTHER WAS WHAT? >> SO THE ULTIMATUM MY DAD GAVE
TO MY MOTHER IS SHE COULD ONLY
TAKE ONE OF US BACK TO THE
STATES.
STATES.
>> I MEAN, IT WAS A SOPHIES
CHOICE.
YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN, AND YOU
HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE.
>> YES.
>> AND SHE CHOSE YOUR LITTLE SISTER.SHE CHOSE YOUR LITTLE
SISTER.
>> YEAH.
>> SHE WAS 3.
>> YEAH.
>> AND, YOU KNOW, SHE FELT SHE -- THAT THE 3-YEAR-OLD
NEEDED HER MORE THAN THE
8-YEAR-OLD IF SHE WAS FORCED TO
CHOOSE, I GUESS.
>> YEAH, SHE FELT THAT -- I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, I CANT EVEN
IMAGINE -- I DONT -- HAVE
CHILDREN, BUT I CANT IMAGINE A
MOTHER HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN
HER CHILDREN.
HER CHILDREN. YOU KNOW, AS AN ADULT, SHE SAID,
YOU KNOW, SHE THOUGHT MY SISTER
WOULD FORGET HER AND THAT SHE
KNEW AN 8-YEAR-OLD WOULDNT
FORGET HER.
FORGET HER.
BUT I DIDNT KNOW THAT. >> RIGHT, OF COURSE.T.
>> RIGHT, OF COURSE. AND THE FEELING OF ABANDONMENT
THAT THAT WOULD HAVE CREATED IN
YOU, IM SURE, IS WITH YOU TO
THIS DAY.
THIS DAY.
YOU THEN LIVED IN IRAQ.
YOU DIDNT SPEAK ARABIC. YOU DIDNT KNOW THIS EXTENDED
FAMILY.
FAMILY.
AND YOU LIVED THERE FOR FOUR YEARS.U LIVED THERE FOR FOUR
YEARS.
WHAT -- WHAT DID THAT DO TO YOU? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU? YOU?
WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU? >> OH, IT JUST CHANGED MY WHOLE
PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AND THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
GROWING UP IN AMERICA.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP
IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
BEING A WOMAN, A LITTLE GIRL IN THE MIDDLE EAST. LITTLE GIRL IN
THE MIDDLE EAST. HAVING TO LEARN ARABIC.
HAVING A NEW FAMILY.
GOING TO SCHOOL.
AND JUST HAVING THAT FREEDOM.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, PEOPLE TALK
ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT FREEDOM DOESNT FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW,
WHEN YOU DONT HAVE IT.
ITS SO OBVIOUS.
SO I JUST BEGAN LIVING MY LIFE
AS AN IRAQI GIRL.
>> WHEN YOURE 12, YOUR MOTHER
WAS FIGHTING TO TRY TO GET YOU
BACK.
BACK.
>> YES.
>> FROM AMERICA.
AND WHEN YOU WERE 12, SHE
FINALLY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO IT.ALLY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO
IT.
>> SHE DID.
>> HOW?
>> SO SHE WORKED WITH THE FBI IN OHIO, AND THEN THE LOCALE FBI IN
OHIO, AND THEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT THERE TO MAKE A CASE
TO TRY TO HELP GET ME BACK, AND
SO THE FBI WORKED WITH HER TO
KIND OF FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET
MY DAD BACK TO THE STATES SO
THEY COULD ULTIMATELY GET ME
BACK.
BACK.
>> AND THATS WHAT HAPPENED.
THEY GOT HIM BACK. AND YOUR MOM GOT YOU BACK.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> YES.
>> YES. >> SO YOU WERE RAISED FROM 12
YEARS ON -- FROM 12 YEARS OF AGE
ON BACK HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES.
>> YES, MAAM.
>> AND THEN AS WE MENTIONED,
VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE AFTER 9/11.
AND THERE WERE MANY REASONS WHY
YOU WANTED TO DO THAT, WHICH
WERE GOING TO GET INTO.
AS YOUR EXTRAORDINARY STORY
CONTINUES.
WERE GOING TO PICK IT UP AFTER THE BREAK. TO PICK IT UP AFTER
THE BREAK. I TO
I TO I DO WANT TO SAY WE HAVE A
STATEMENT FROM YOUR FATHER, SAM,
WHO SAYS THAT YOU AND YOUR
SISTER ARE ALWAYS IN MY HEART.
HE SAYS I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR
THEIR MOM.
THEIR MOM. I AM SO PROUD OF ALEA AND ASIA.
THEY GREW UP IN A SITUATION THAT
WAS HARD FOR THEM AND THEY DID A
GREAT JOB IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND