thedrifter
05-21-09, 07:20 AM
The Front Line: 1st Lt. Walter R. Lee Jr.
By Staff
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq
Name: 1st Lt. Walter R. Lee Jr.
Home Unit: 1st Civil Engineer Squadron
What do you do?
Design construction, renovation projects, provide engineering consulting services and project management for the Marines, Navy, Air Force and Army in support of the Army 555th Engineer Brigade out of Balad Air Base, Iraq.
What's a day in the life like while in Al Asad?
You wake up in the morning and are thankful to God for the air you breathe and living space and conditions that you inhabit, fully knowing that others have it much more worse in other areas. As the day begins you take a walk about 40 paces from your "CHU" or containerized housing unit to the "wet trailer's" or showers and latrine unit. Once you have prepared yourself for the day you take off on the journey not knowing what to expect. You stop by the chow hall and grab a bite to eat while sitting down with your colleagues and a plethora of Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen to enjoy it. Next you walk into work with your mind focused on doing everything possible to do the best possible job because you know that your country and the one you preside in deserves it. Then you design, manage, aid, etc and start getting the project done. As the day progresses you interact with the different joint entities as well as with the local Iraqi vendors providing the items that they may need to the best extent possible. Near the ending of the day you find time to go take your laundry over to have it cleaned as well as find time for a bit of physical training, which is "soothing to the soul." After all of the interaction you still desire a bit more so you find your way to the Chapel for some devotional time or the MWR "white elephant" as the Marines call it, for a movie, computers and phones, or just a friendly game of ping pong. Once complete you head back to the CHU for preparation for the next day and some rest knowing that the next day is not promised but, if so, you will have that same drive, devotion and desire to do it all again the next day.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now?
The different interactions and culture awareness that was gained from being around the Iraqi contractors during project construction. Not to mention the group of quality Airmen that I deployed with.
What's the most useful item you packed?
Leatherman. Very useful for opening packages and electrical panel boards.
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment?
As soon as we jumped of the Boeing 747 and gazed at all of the sand, HESCO, T-barriers, dirt, concrete as well as the vastness of the desert.
What has been the highlight of your tour?
The trip three of us took to Forward Operating Base Hunter in the later part of January. There we were given the opportunity to see what actual deployed construction consisted of as well as get our hands dirty in performing some manual labor with the troops. We were given an appreciation for the sister services as well as how the AF does business elsewhere in the AOR. It was truly an enjoyable experience not to mention we were stranded a few times finding ourselves often sleeping in the air terminals while we waited for either helicopter or fixed wing flights.
What's the best part of the deployment?
PT with the Marines. They are a pretty strong bunch. It is just amazing at the caliber of the fitness programs that they develop and include themselves in. From the running and pull ups to the abdominal and full-body demolishing workouts. Simply amazing!
The worst part?
The days sometime become monotonous. Almost like a real bad case of déjà vu.
What new survival skill have you learned?
Food and water rationing. Eat less before low demand activities and more before high demand activities for energy conservation.
What do you do during down time?
I usually PT, study, read my Bible or another book of choosing and go to the Chapel.
What is the first thing you will do when you return?
I will find the nearest grocery store and purchase myself "five" bananas at which I will eat one by one until they are all gone while savoring the taste of each bite.
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there?
You can never be too grateful. Be thankful for anything and everything. All things happen for a reason whether these things are good or bad. Be thankful because when you think you have it bad you can be assured that someone else has it much worse.
What do you miss the most?
I miss being around and talking to all of the people there at the 1st Civil Engineer Squadron and throughout Langley.
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside?
It is different in that I now actually design the construction projects as a design engineer for execution instead of execute and manage the contract as a project manager.
Have you tried the local cuisine?
No and Yes. The dining facilities here provide different cuisines that are locally based. They serve a wide range of different foods foreign to the western culture. So, a lot of the dishes that I have tried have been of local descent but not as the common Iraqi family would prepare and serve them.
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside?
I think it to be the same way that it was before I left. Things are going to happen no matter what or where we are in the world. A lot of these things we just cannot change but that does not mean that we do not continue to have a positive outlook on them. If you let the news back stateside change your outlook or take you off of your focus in your current location then you start to become ineffective. Then, your positive turns to negative and you unwarily start to affect the very things that are going on stateside as well as in your current location. There is a job or mission that must be done in your current location so that the things back home can remain in good standing for others first then yourself. When I think on this I realize that what is going on back stateside must take place in order to pave the way for other more positive things.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment?
No plans, actually. The only thing that is running through my mind is "save, save, save, give, give, give."
If so, what will you buy?
Probably nothing in particular, maybe open up an investment of some sort.
Ellie
By Staff
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq
Name: 1st Lt. Walter R. Lee Jr.
Home Unit: 1st Civil Engineer Squadron
What do you do?
Design construction, renovation projects, provide engineering consulting services and project management for the Marines, Navy, Air Force and Army in support of the Army 555th Engineer Brigade out of Balad Air Base, Iraq.
What's a day in the life like while in Al Asad?
You wake up in the morning and are thankful to God for the air you breathe and living space and conditions that you inhabit, fully knowing that others have it much more worse in other areas. As the day begins you take a walk about 40 paces from your "CHU" or containerized housing unit to the "wet trailer's" or showers and latrine unit. Once you have prepared yourself for the day you take off on the journey not knowing what to expect. You stop by the chow hall and grab a bite to eat while sitting down with your colleagues and a plethora of Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen to enjoy it. Next you walk into work with your mind focused on doing everything possible to do the best possible job because you know that your country and the one you preside in deserves it. Then you design, manage, aid, etc and start getting the project done. As the day progresses you interact with the different joint entities as well as with the local Iraqi vendors providing the items that they may need to the best extent possible. Near the ending of the day you find time to go take your laundry over to have it cleaned as well as find time for a bit of physical training, which is "soothing to the soul." After all of the interaction you still desire a bit more so you find your way to the Chapel for some devotional time or the MWR "white elephant" as the Marines call it, for a movie, computers and phones, or just a friendly game of ping pong. Once complete you head back to the CHU for preparation for the next day and some rest knowing that the next day is not promised but, if so, you will have that same drive, devotion and desire to do it all again the next day.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now?
The different interactions and culture awareness that was gained from being around the Iraqi contractors during project construction. Not to mention the group of quality Airmen that I deployed with.
What's the most useful item you packed?
Leatherman. Very useful for opening packages and electrical panel boards.
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment?
As soon as we jumped of the Boeing 747 and gazed at all of the sand, HESCO, T-barriers, dirt, concrete as well as the vastness of the desert.
What has been the highlight of your tour?
The trip three of us took to Forward Operating Base Hunter in the later part of January. There we were given the opportunity to see what actual deployed construction consisted of as well as get our hands dirty in performing some manual labor with the troops. We were given an appreciation for the sister services as well as how the AF does business elsewhere in the AOR. It was truly an enjoyable experience not to mention we were stranded a few times finding ourselves often sleeping in the air terminals while we waited for either helicopter or fixed wing flights.
What's the best part of the deployment?
PT with the Marines. They are a pretty strong bunch. It is just amazing at the caliber of the fitness programs that they develop and include themselves in. From the running and pull ups to the abdominal and full-body demolishing workouts. Simply amazing!
The worst part?
The days sometime become monotonous. Almost like a real bad case of déjà vu.
What new survival skill have you learned?
Food and water rationing. Eat less before low demand activities and more before high demand activities for energy conservation.
What do you do during down time?
I usually PT, study, read my Bible or another book of choosing and go to the Chapel.
What is the first thing you will do when you return?
I will find the nearest grocery store and purchase myself "five" bananas at which I will eat one by one until they are all gone while savoring the taste of each bite.
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there?
You can never be too grateful. Be thankful for anything and everything. All things happen for a reason whether these things are good or bad. Be thankful because when you think you have it bad you can be assured that someone else has it much worse.
What do you miss the most?
I miss being around and talking to all of the people there at the 1st Civil Engineer Squadron and throughout Langley.
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside?
It is different in that I now actually design the construction projects as a design engineer for execution instead of execute and manage the contract as a project manager.
Have you tried the local cuisine?
No and Yes. The dining facilities here provide different cuisines that are locally based. They serve a wide range of different foods foreign to the western culture. So, a lot of the dishes that I have tried have been of local descent but not as the common Iraqi family would prepare and serve them.
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside?
I think it to be the same way that it was before I left. Things are going to happen no matter what or where we are in the world. A lot of these things we just cannot change but that does not mean that we do not continue to have a positive outlook on them. If you let the news back stateside change your outlook or take you off of your focus in your current location then you start to become ineffective. Then, your positive turns to negative and you unwarily start to affect the very things that are going on stateside as well as in your current location. There is a job or mission that must be done in your current location so that the things back home can remain in good standing for others first then yourself. When I think on this I realize that what is going on back stateside must take place in order to pave the way for other more positive things.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment?
No plans, actually. The only thing that is running through my mind is "save, save, save, give, give, give."
If so, what will you buy?
Probably nothing in particular, maybe open up an investment of some sort.
Ellie