Rhea County man who went to Iraq to fight ISIS is ready to come home

A Rhea County man who volunteered to go to Iraq is ready to come home.

Aaron Core left the U.S. military in 2012, but in February of this year traveled to fight ISIS in Iraq with Kurdish Peshmerga troops. Photo contributed by Aaron Core

Aaron Core left the U.S. military in 2012, but in February of this year traveled to fight ISIS in Iraq with Kurdish Peshmerga troops. Photo contributed by Aaron Core

Aaron Core, who was profiled in May in the Times Free Press, has been in Iraq since February. He volunteered to travel overseas to help fight ISIS along side Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Core was infuriated America wasn't doing more to combat the terror group.

"I got to come home at some point," Core said in an email interview.

Because he's in Iraq in a volunteer capacity, he doesn't have enough funds to get back on his own. A Go Fund Me page was started to try and get him home with a goal of $5,000. It currently has $450. He said it cost about $1,700 to get over to Iraq, and the price of plane tickets varies depending on the day.

Core was previously in the U.S. Army and did a tour in Iraq in 2009 to 2010. He left the military in 2012 but wanted to come back and fight. He heard of other soldiers in his situation joining the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and decided to fly overseas to volunteer.

In Iraq, he fought with old Soviet rifles because the Kurdish militia he's with doesn't have the same financial support he was accustomed to in the Army. In May, he said his unit was tasked with holding the line against an enemy force.

"I have no regrets," Core said of his time volunteering. "All my experiences, good and bad, have been very enlightening."

The Go Fund Me page says it's trying to make sure Core has enough money to get settled and find a job once he's back in the States. He said several friends have offered him jobs back home.

"Or I'll try getting back in the Army," he said. "[Or] I may just come back here."

Core said if he doesn't get enough money through the crowdfunding site, he will wash dishes until he raises enough money for a flight back home. Or he may just stay overseas.

"One of my kurdish brothers has a music studio," Core said in the email. "Try to work on my album and then marry Taylor Swift. Smiles."

Contact staff writer Evan Hoopfer at ehoopfer@timesfree press.com or @EvanHoopfer on Twitter or 423-757-6731.