54-year-old Mohammed Abdul Amir spent more than 25 years in Saddam Hussein's army. It was his career and his life.

Now his 26-year-old son Hamid is serving in the new Iraqi Army, a fighting force built, supplied and trained by U.S. advisors.

Both share a love of country and pride in military service.

Mohammad, a former colonel, has strong opinions on what it takes to do the job. "You have the spirit of a soldier," he says in accented English. "It means first you are a good man. You must be a good man. Means you are not a killer, but you defend your country."

The colonel believes the new Iraqi Army lacks that intangible spirit, recalling his glory days as a professional artillery officer trained to parachute behind enemy lines. He says the losing side in a war is never allowed to rebuild a really strong military.

When a rocket propelled grenade tore off his arm during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980's, Colonel Amir picked up his severed limb with the other hand, tucked it in his belt and crawled away.

"You see, it has watch, gold watch, and ring," he explains, "and because I am Muslim I must burn it with my body."

Hamid Abdul Amir joined the new Iraqi Army in 2003. He saw some action in the first few years during joint patrols with the Americans. Now the Iraqis are starting to operate independently.

These days, Hamid stops cars at a checkpoint in Baghdad and is sometimes frustrated by his routine.

"Previous Army tasks were to protect the borders," he says quietly in Arabic. "Now it is like police work."

Still, he thinks his fellow soldiers feel the same sense of duty and patriotism as his father's generation.

Hamid wishes older Iraqi officers like his father could help advise young recruits. But he thinks U.S. soldiers made excellent trainers, and he credits the Americans with trying to learn Iraqi culture.

"Almost we made them adopt our traditions," says Hamid. "Sometimes they eat with us. We bring to them the same food."

In the colonel's day, an Army career came with prestige and perks. But absolute obedience to authority was expected in return. And although they felt a great loyalty to the Army as an institution, Col. Amir says most officers never supported Saddam's policies.

But disobeying or challenging the dictator would have meant a death sentence, says Amir. "He will hang them and shoot them."

Some of the soldiers joining the new Iraqi Army don't support their new government either. But job opportunities are limited and the military offers a steady paycheck.

That's why the colonel encouraged his son to enlist.

With a wife and 11 children, the colonel was struggling to support the family. The new Iraqi government has refused to pay the pensions of old Army officers, and Hamid had to get a job to help out.

Col. Amir gets emotional when he talks about his son's future. "If he will not be in the Army, I cannot let him get married. I cannot let him make family."

Hamid would prefer to go back to college and find another career, but he already feels trapped. "I get used to Army career," he says. "I might not be able to leave it."

He's thinking of choosing a specialty — perhaps intelligence or logistics. Hamid says young Iraqi soldiers hold out hope for brighter days ahead.

"Some day [I hope] to get married, buy a car," he told Fox News. "We believe in the future."