I am safely back in the U.S. now so I have just a few more posts before
I’ll put this blog to bed.
For most members of the Air Force, a deployment to Afghanistan usually
consists of heading to KAF, BAF, KAIA, or one of the numerous Kabul fortresses
for 6-12 months. However, according to
an email I received 2,300 are currently serving under JET (joint expeditionary
taskings), which in theory means they are “forward” deployed to the FOBs and
COPs. Most of these are as IA
(individual augmentees) to the Army serving in support roles. A good number are probably JTACs (joint
terminal attack controller) and TACPs (tactical air control party) who call in
air support for the Army and are highly trained. And then there are the handful of us that end
up in pretty unique billets with varying levels of training and experience for
what we are being thrown into. So here
is my generic advice for what to do if you are NOT going to be a FOBbit
(meaning you are forward deployed and will frequently go on OTW missions).
Gear
1.
Uniforms- To be honest, your tasking letter may
be jacked up. It may say you are
deploying to Kabul or Bagram because your command’s HQ may be there. If someone has contacted you telling you
where you will ACTUALLY be, you are a step ahead. Work with your UDM to get the gear and
uniforms that people at that location receive standard issue. If you will be working with the Army, you’ll
want OCPs (multicam). I don’t care if
the AF has fire retardant tiger stripes authorized for the AOR (ABS-Gs). Do you want to be the only one out on a
patrol in a different uniform? I didn’t.
2.
M4 over M16- This was the best advice I took
from my husband. I was initially issued
a M16 and it’s what I went to training with.
Guess who has M16s down range?
Generally, people that don’t leave the FOBs. Especially if you barely break 5’ the M4 is
just easier to handle.
3.
Holster- Find one that works for you. I had a drop holster which worked well for
me. If I had to do it all over again I'd probably go with a hip holster
as more comfortable and easier to conceal when desired.
4.
Sleeping bag- If you are going to do any amount
of traveling your sleeping bag will become your best friend. If you aren’t going to be issued a decent one
(warm, but very compact and waterproof), might be worth investing in one.
5.
Red light headlamp and flashlight- Chances are
you’ll be at a blackout FOB.
Army
1.
Being deployed with the Army was by far the best
part of my deployment. I learned a TON
from both battalions I was with operationally, about leadership, how to take
care of your enlisted, the list goes on and on.
I think in some respects I fit in with the Army culture better. There appeared to be greater mutual respect
between officers and enlisted. There is
no doubt that as a generality Army officers (and I’m sure Marines) have a much
greater responsibility at an earlier point in their careers than Air Force
officers. Soak it up and learn as much
as you can. Learn about operations,
intel, logistics, personnel matters – it doesn’t matter if it has nothing to do
with your AFSC, learn about it. Talk to
everyone you can. Many of the soldiers
are on their 4th and 5th deployments. They have unmatched experience, not to
mention the perspective of having seen it all before.
2.
Don’t be fooled by the PowerPoint! Don’t try to become a PowerPoint expert – it will
steal your brain! Just because it “briefs
well” or will look pretty on the screen, doesn’t mean you should waste precious
time creating it. I could go on and on
about this….
3.
Read your email.
This may seem obvious, but get added to as many distro lists as you
can. Read the intel, the HTT reports,
and anything you can get your hands on that’s going to help you understand your
AO better and have greater SA – you will do a better job of taking care of yourself
and those you are deployed with and executing your mission.
4.
Work out!
Admittedly my fitness level probably decreased somewhat on
deployment. I mostly ran and biked. But find a workout partner. It will keep you in shape and relieve some
stress.
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