Tony Buccelli was Sergeant for the US Army and fought overseas in Iraq during the Gulf War. After raiding an Iraqi intelligence unit, Buccelli found Sayid and many other Republican Guard soldiers inside, and that Sayid was the only one capable of speaking English. When Buccelli asked where the commanding officer was, Sayid stated that he fled to Hillah, Buccelli commented that Sayid's English was good, but that he was lying and that wasn't so good.