JACOB KONST/Arizona Daily Wildcat Spc. Laura Zdunowski of the Army's 35th Signal Brigade Corps, Airborne, discusses her experiences in Iraq with an audience at the Steward Observatory yesterday.

Army Spc. Laura Zdunowski volunteered to go to Iraq last fall because she was in love.

"I got word about the Army taking volunteers to go to Iraq," Zdunowski, said. "I thought, ÎI might see my husband. I might die.'"

While she hoped to see her husband, already stationed in Iraq, she never expected the big spiders, 130-degree days and flirty married soldiers. Above all, she couldn't have known she would end up sitting in Saddam Hussein's conference chair in his Baghdad palace at a weapon of mass destruction briefing.

Zdunowski, a 21-year-old Tucson native who has been in the Army over three years, spoke to a crowd of more than 50 last night at the Steward Observatory about her experiences as a communication specialist with the 35th Signal Brigade Corps, Airborne.

Zdunowski returned to the United States on Easter after a 6 1/2-month deployment.

After landing in Baghdad, Zdunowski's unit took a two-hour convoy to Babylon, where she got to do a little sight-seeing.

"I felt like I was trapped in the Bible, but with highways," said Zdunowski, who had the job of setting up communication services, such as Internet and phone, for other military units.

It was on this first convoy trip that Zdunowski saw Iraqi women in the fields, children waving and destroyed tanks on the side of the road.

Eventually stationed in al-Kut in southern Iraq, Zdunowski was one of four women who shared a large tent with 60 soldiers.

The women were sectioned off with ply board, although most of the men were tall enough to see over the top.

She remembered that the first night, she rescued her unit from small rats and large spiders because she wanted to show off.

Zdunowski, who is 5-foot-4 with long brown hair, pink fingernails and a large diamond ring, said she had to beat up a few military men who would not leave her alone.

At one point, Zdunowski traveled to Baghdad to receive training on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

The briefing was held in Hussein's palace.

"It was beautiful," Zdunowski said. "There was a chandelier the size of my house, and it was all marble."

While she got to see her husband for a day, it wasn't until Christmas that she spent considerable time with him.

Both their units arranged a break for them so they could share the holiday together.

"We were walking down the streets of Baghdad holding hands and bombs and gun shots were going off. But we were in our own world," Zdunowski said.

Although she was in the heart of the war, the reality of the situation didn't hit Zdunowski until her husband called one day and said a friend had been killed in a car bombing.

"That's when it became real to me," Zdunowski said. "Real human beings were dying. It wasn't like, ÎOh, that was the 500th. That sucks.'"

After hearing the news, she had to tell a colleague that his best friend had been killed.

"He didn't believe me," Zdunowski said. "He is the toughest guy I know and he cried like a baby."

Later that night, the soldier asked to borrow her Tweety doll to sleep with.

Zdunowski said she befriended many Iraqis while in their country, stressing it was important to maintain the reputation that Americans were there to help them.

She shared her Christmas candy with the Iraqis who were paid to clean the Army base, she talked about her husband to the women, and a 20-year old barber plucked her eyebrows with a string in the local market.

Adam Gottlieb, a political science senior, said he attended last night's event to hear first-hand experiences.

"I wanted to hear her opinion on Iraq since she had been there," Gottlieb said.

Zdunowski, who is still on active duty, declined to answer several questions.

Zdunowski signed up for the Army on her 18th birthday after a recruiter told her about signing bonuses and the $50,000 she could get for college.

She said many in her unit were also appreciative of the financial assistance.

Felicity England, a Pima Community College student, said Zdunowski was incredibly brave to speak out about her experiences.

"While so many of us are going to college, we forget about how many are trying to go to college by fighting in a foreign country."

Zdunowski, who will consider attending the UA when she leaves the Army, thanked the audience and encouraged everyone to support the troops, even while participating in anti-war marches.

"Thanks for the support. Just because the war is getting old to you doesn't mean there aren't troops scared over there," she said.

Last night's event was sponsored by the Alliance for Peace and Justice in the Middle East.