JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq –
Airman 1st Class Dewey Nelson
Home Unit: 1st Civil Engineer Squadron
Location: Joint Base Balad, Iraq
What do you do? Structural journeyman
What's a day in the life like ... while in Balad? I work on the forward operating base or outside the wire.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? How I had to be prepared for anything and everything daily
What's the most useful item you packed? Ipod
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment? When I saw a third country national serving food at the dining facility
What has been the highlight of your tour? Seeing the outcome of completed jobs throughout Iraq
What's the best part of the deployment? The money
The worst part? Walking on rocks all day, every day
What new survival skill have you learned? Being aware of my surroundings at all times
What do you do during down time? Work out, listen to music or catch a movie
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Look for an apartment
What is the first thing you will eat when you return? A home-cooked meal made by my mother
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there? To appreciate the little things in life
What do you miss the most? (not who) The 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. work schedule at home
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside? Stateside, the job consists of base maintenance work, but deployed it's a lot of building stuff from the ground up.
Have you tried the local cuisine? Yes I have, and it will do until I get home
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment? I'll buy furniture and try to save the rest.