You may know Avi Kaufman '03. He may be in one of your classes. He may have sat beside you all semester and you would never have guessed that he is a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Kaufman is by most standards a typical Brandeis student -- a 21-year-old Near East and Judaic Studies major from Worcester, Mass. who is looking forward to graduating in a few months. When I met with him at Cappy's, the small pizza place across from the Brandeis-Roberts commuter rail station, he appeared mild-mannered and even-tempered, lacking the stereotypical hyper-male, aggressive, hard-edged image that people often attach to military men.

Kaufman is patriotic - a value which inspired him to join the army. "(The army's) only as good as the people in it," he said. "If good people are in the army, then you are assured that (the war) will be fought right in terms of human rights. I felt that it was important for people with morals to not run away from it."

Being Jewish was anther factor in Kaufman's decision to enlist. "There are not many Jews in the army," he said. "It makes it possible for there to be a Holocaust. If (the soldiers) are the only people with guns, what's to prevent it."

As a member of the 401st Chemical Company, Kaufman said he satisfies his desire to help others. The company's mission, according to him, "is to do decontamination for mass causalities in a domestic setting for weapons of mass destruction." He promptly and officially added that this was his mission, as if my question had triggered an automated response that he rehearsed many times to higher commanders. I almost expected to see him salute at the end of that explanation.

When asked to explain the objective of his position in plain English, however, his shoulders sagged, as if at ease, and with a subtle laugh, he replied that he remains stationed on U.S. soil and in the event that there is a biological, chemical, or nuclear attack on civilians, Kaufman and the 401st Chemical Company will decontaminate people and equipment using protective gear, chemical solutions and water.

Since Kaufman was mobilized on March 22, he is on active duty full-time. But his schedule permits him to continue classes and graduate in the spring. Since he is a commander for the rear detachment, he was ordered to stay in the Boston headquarters, whereas most of his unit was deployed to Georgia. "If I hadn't become an officer," he said, "I would be in Georgia right now."

Kaufman is the highest-ranking soldier in his unit to remain in Massachusetts. He will stay for another five or six months, at which point he will go to Missouri for five months for more extensive training. While on active duty in Boston, he ensures that the rest of his unit receives the proper equipment, serves as a liaison between the chemical company and the brigade, and tracks those who are absent without leave (AWOL).

While the rest of us worry over finals and consider summer plans, Kaufman must attempt to be a full time lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and prepare to leave for training while juggling classes and other everyday concerns. But the heavy responsibility has not shaken Kaufman's psyche; he asserts that he isn't worried. "I'm confident that my equipment works and that my training is good," he said. "I've trained with nerve gas. A single drop can kill you."

"It feels good to be doing something that saves lives," he continued. "Sometimes it can be tough. It's not an easy job. I guess that's all the more reason to do it, because it's hard and it has to be done."