CAMP TAJI, Iraq –
Name: Tech. Sgt. Greer W. P. Stevenson Jr.
Home Unit: 735th Supply Chain Management Group
What do you do? Supply Advisor to the newly established Iraqi air force. It is our/my responsibility to advise and assist the Iraqi air force supply personnel in basic supply functions. We are to aid them in creating the basic foundation for their air force so that when we redeploy they will be able to support themselves. Back to the old adage "It's not just a job, it's an adventure".
What's a day in the life like ... while in Iraq? Well, my day starts at 4:30 a.m. I head to the gym until 5:30a.m. Then I wait until there is an available shower in our wonderful Cadillac (shower/bathroom, for those of you who have not deployed in a while). I then study while I get ready for work for about 45minutes. I head to the dining facility around 7 a.m. We head out to work shortly after; work starts at 8 a.m. Once at work it is almost the same as home station. If we are not working with the IqAF we work to support the Air Force members that are assigned on Taji in support of the 370th Expeditionary Training Squadron. At the school house, AF members train the Iraqis thru Basic Military Training, Basic Technical Training and Air Force Academy. The 770th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron whose mission is to advise/assist the Iraqis on maintenance processes for the Huey II and all other aspects of flying non-fixed wing aircraft including a pilot training school along with an intense gunner school. We assist our fellow AF members thru ordering supplies, processing purchase requests and working to understand the Army supply system to aid us in better supporting ourselves. The work that we do with the Iraqis will be the foundation for their air force. We work to get the IqAF self sufficient by providing guidance and direction thru daily interaction. We use aspects from both the Air Force way of operations thru our Career Development Courses, regulations, operating instructions and processes they have been adopted from the Iraqi army. Lunch is normally around noon to 1 p.m., after lunch we routinely go by the supply point to see if any of our requisitions have come in. From there we go by the Army CRSP yard, which is like the AF Traffic Management Office yard, where we also receive property. We basically order anything with a stock number from toilet paper to vehicle parts. It is our responsibility to keep our fellow AF members stocked with everything they need to keep the mission going. We do normal housekeeping just as we would at home station, except here it is done with an M-9 on your hip. Once all of the work is complete for the day we will swing by the laundry point in case someone has some clothes to pick up or drop off. The duty day normally ends around 5:30 to 6 p.m., depending on the work at hand we may stay later if necessary. Dinner is normally around 6:30 to 7 p.m., after that it's to the morale trailer to call the family or to the room to get ready for duty tomorrow. Shower around 9 p.m., write a letter or read a book for a while then go to sleep around 10 p.m. Tomorrow it's groundhog day all over again. The only thing that will change is whether I wear my shoulder holster or my hip holster, "always vigilant always ready". When you're one of 150 AF members surrounded by over 25,000 Army it's pays to be ready.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? Having to be away from my newborn daughter, hoping that later in life she understands.
What's the most useful item you packed? Purell instant hand sanitizer and small packs of Wet Ones.
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment?
During the chopper ride from Sather Air Base to Camp Taji, something about looking over the Iraqi country side as you lean out of a Huey with the door wide open while the gunner ops checks his weapon tells you that this isn't Hampton anymore...
What has been the highlight of your tour? Being able to work with the Iraqis and to understand their plight and assist in their rebirth.
What's the best part of the deployment? Receiving mail and pictures from home. Kindergarten rules are in effect so make sure you have enough snacks for everyone and everyone wants to see your pictures of the family also.
The worst part? Pictures from home. It's hard to see your family grow without you. You are happy that they are all doing well, but you still feel the void in your daily life. It gets hard at times.
What new survival skill have you learned? The ability to run on rocks, you may think that it isn't anything from fist glance, but out here it is dirt. There is no sand at all so when it rains it turns into a mud pond. So the answer is to put rocks everywhere, not small pebbles either, huge sea wall rocks. If you want to do any exercise outside you need to learn to navigate over the stones that are placed on the roads. I pride myself on my ability to run six miles without breaking my ankle.
What do you do during down time? Write letters, read motorcycle magazines and hit the gym.
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Hold my daughters tight and kiss my wife.
What is the first thing you will eat when you return? Maybe eat at Plaza Azteca.
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there?
Patience! Dealing with other cultures you must be able to step out of the American way of doing things and sometimes sit back and drink some tea. Inshalla -in-sha-la , Iraqi for "God Willing". If it is meant to happen it will.
What do you miss the most? My motorcycle and riding with Nexx Dimenzion, taking a decent shower, sleeping in a bed that is made for an adult and having my personal space. Civilian clothes and fabric softener.
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside?
Well, back at Langley I was doing training, ensuring everyone was up to date on their core tasks and Computer Based Training. Here none of that exists. The Iraqis are new to the whole process and there are no CBT's to have them do. A task that may take an hour in the states may take a week here- depending on their level of interest or even their Mujas (vacation time, which is normally work for five to eight days then take three to five days off). It makes it hard to coordinate anything if no one is there to work with you, but as I said before - Inshalla.
Have you tried the local cuisine? No, it is against Multi-National Force-Iraq rules. There have been cases of stomach illness and food poisoning.
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside?
Well, I am glad that out here I do not have to worry about gas. It has really gotten ridiculous. Around the DFAC there is always political talk, now that the Olympics are over. The push now is to get everyone registered to vote. Now everyone is worried about the storms, you can almost guarantee that there is someone in the squadron from an area that is being affected by a storm. So, you try to provide whatever support you can because you never know when it is going to be your family in harms way.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment?
Yes!!!! A 2 inch over 240 kit, possible single sided swingarm (the motorcycle community will understand). Honestly just paying off bills, get new wardrobes for the kids and we are in the market for a new car. But we will have to see... Inshalla......