SOUTHWEST ASIA –
Name: Maj. Patrick J. Steen
Home Unit: Headquarters Air Combat Command Combat Installations and Mission Support Directorate
What do you do? 387th Expeditionay Security Forces Squadron commander
What's a day in the life like ... while in the desert? Life here is not that different from life in a Nevada in the hottest part of the summer at least - as far as the weather is concerned. Everything else is radically different. A typical day involves a quick bite to eat; a trip to the armory to arm up, a couple of hours transiting to your duty location, all day at the job, and finally preparing to do it all over again tomorrow. Busy days and lots of projects, so the time is truly flying by.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? I doubt if I will remember much about the job, but the folks I served with I will never forget. Without them there is no mission, no energy and no reason to serve. Our personnel are the best our country has to represent our nation and they are representing us well.
What's the most useful item you packed? Knowledge and my sidearm.
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment? The moment I stepped off the plane and the heat literally took my breath away and it was only February.
What has been the highlight of your tour? Watching everyone get out of the "storming" and start performing as a tightly woven squadron. It has happened twice and not all at one time, but once they are in the groove they never let up.
What's the best part of the deployment? Getting to know and working with the host nation everyday has been incredible. It has been the opportunity of a lifetime. Their military system is similar in the rank of officers, but the major difference lies in the NCO and SNCO ranks. There is no comparison. Our SNCOs and NCOs education, both professional and technical, and leadership experiences are well beyond the local's military personnel. It is simply awesome to watch our Airman perform here both professional and personally. They are the reason our military has no equal.
The worst part? Knowing your kids are growing up and you are not there to see it.
What new survival skill have you learned?
Local customs and courtesies are crucial to the mission. Working hand in hand with your hosts does wonders to speed up projects and contributes to your personnel's and ultimately the bases' security.
What do you do during down time? Go to the gym and study.
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Take time off with my family.
What is the first thing you want to eat when you return? I do not have any particular food in mind.
What insight/experience will you take away from your deployment? Experience of knowing how spectacular our Security Forces Defenders are in a deployed environment; no complaints and all business.
What do you miss the most (not who)? Playing with my kids.
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside? My job here is more site specific, forward end compared to my job back home. I get to see how the equipment and procedures are being implemented at the working end of the gun; so to speak.
Have you tried the local cuisine? Definitely, the desserts are not a sweet as you will see in the U.S. Otherwise, the meals here are a very hands-on affair. Meaning very few utensils are utilized during the meal. In town, the meals are very similar to cuisine in the States.
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside? The problems in the CONUS seem a world away and outside the boundaries of day-to-day work environment. They also keep me in touch and grounded with what is going on in the states.
What will you buy with any extra money that you might be making from this deployment? Saving for retirement, short cruise with my wife, my children's education, and a little work on my project car are all I have in mind.