FORWARD OPERATING BASE MEHTAR LAM, Afghanistan –
Staff Sgt. Jessica Williams
Home Unit: 633d Medical Group Mental Health Flight, Langley AFB, Va.
What do you do? Mental Health Combat Stress Control
What's a day in the life like? As a Mental Health technician assigned to the Front lines, there is never a dull moment. My job is 24/7 and a simple walk from my room to the dining facility may lend a much needed interaction with one of our servicemembers. Every morning starts out with a nice breakfast at the DFAC. This time allows me an opportunity to get a feel for what will be going on around the FOB for the day. My days are spent conducting individual counseling sessions with topics ranging from frustrations with leadership, home front issues and combat exposure. The other part of my day is comprised of conducting "Walkabouts." Outreach is an important part of our mission and allows people the opportunity to reach out and discuss concerns they may have. Half of my week is spent at our assigned FOB. The other half is traveling to other six FOBs and combat outposts.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? The wonderful people I met and how much they sacrificed for our country.
What's the most useful item you packed? My camera and laptop. I have been able to document my awesome experiences here due to having a nice camera. My laptop provides me a mechanism to watch movies which I find relaxing.
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment? As soon as the back of the C-130 opened up at Bagram. The "pucker factor" definitely kicked in.
What has been the highlight of your tour? Getting to play with the Army's fun toys. I have gotten to be a part of a controlled detonation with explosive ordnance disposal, fire a Barrett sniper rifle and hang mortar rounds with the field artillery crew to name a few. Our Soldiers are proud of what they do and love to teach their craft.
What's the best part of the deployment? Getting to see firsthand the intricate detail and partnership with our Armed Forces and being able to do whatever is required of them.
The worst part? Seeing the scars of war on these young service member's faces and knowing my job is to assist them with staying in the fight and having to continue experiencing the harsh realities of war.
What new survival skill have you learned? Getting my bearings very quickly when the bullets start flying. I finally understand the term "muscle memory."
What do you do during down time? Work out and watch every television series I can!
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Give my husband and kids a big hug and kiss.
What is the first thing you will eat when you return? Chicken Picatta from my favorite little Italian restaurant in Williamsburg with a fresh tiramisu for dessert.
What insight experience will you take away from your time over there? Knowing what a sacrifice our Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Sailors are making. War changes people and they do it with no question. This deployment provided me the opportunity to provide psychological first aid to some of our most affected service people. I now have a firsthand account of what many of the people I have seen at home have experienced.
What do you miss the most? Coming home from work in the evenings to my loving family and the way my kids feel in my arms, not to mention how they smell! Quiet weekends sipping my coffee on Sunday morning with my family watching the CBS Morning Show.
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside? I get out of the office all the time. Back home, I am in more of a managerial position and do not get to spend much time doing patient care. Here I spend a majority of my day assisting Soldiers, Airmen and Marines with helpful skills to assist them in their deployment. It is amazing the power a smile can have on someone missing their family or friends back home. I feel I am assisting in the war effort by being the shoulder for our folks to lean on in their time of need. I am now witnessing the difficult combat situations so many of our Soldiers, Marines and Airmen are affected by and I appreciate the sacrifices they are making for all of us!
Have you tried the local cuisine? Yes, I love the fresh produce. I enjoy the pan bread with the okra and greens. The tomatoes are also extremely sweet and juicy.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment? Having a great vacation with my family and decorating my new house I haven't even gotten to live in.
About when are you to return? June 2010