AL DHAFRA AIR BASE, United Arab Emirates –
Senior Master Sgt. Tamara Olson
Home Unit: Air Combat Command Headquarters
Location: Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates
What do you do? Engineering flight superintendent
What's a day in the life like ... while in Al Dhafra? We have long days here. My day starts at 6 a.m. with a workout and then I have a quick breakfast. After breakfast, I go to work where I spend the next 12 hours. Before dinner I try to go for a run, and then start again the next day. It's like Ground Hog Day sometimes.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? How unbearably hot and humid it is
What's the most useful item you packed? Exercise bands
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment? The minute I got off the plane at the airport
What has been the highlight of your tour? Meeting new people and seeing old friends
What's the best part of the deployment? Gaining new experiences and new skills
The worst part? Being away from my family
What new survival skill have you learned? How to become a better follower
What do you do during down time? Read and exercise
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Hug my beautiful daughter
What is the first thing you will eat when you return? Homemade pancakes and good American dairy milk
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there? Be flexible. In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. (President Thomas Jefferson)
What do you miss the most? (not who) Reading to my daughter at bedtime and precious family moments
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside? I am doing more traditional engineering work versus being a technical advisor at the home unit.
Have you tried the local cuisine? Yes, it is very good
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside? I try to stay current with events stateside but I also watch more local news and what is going on in the Gulf Region. I find that I do not have as much tolerance for negative news. I see so much poverty and injustice now that it gets to be too much to watch it back at home too.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment? If so, what will you buy? Yes, I pay off bills and invest.