Vehicle operator drives mission success

Published March 26, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Lindsey Maurice
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- A self-admitted adrenaline junkie, it's no surprise the highlight of the Upland, Calif., native's career was his first deployment here in 2007 as part of the line-haul convoy team delivering supplies in and out of Iraq.

Now on his second tour under the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Staff Sgt. Kyle Adams said that while his job as a 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle operator/dispatcher doesn't take him through the war-torn streets of Iraq, he still enjoys the experience of being downrange.

"I look forward to deployments for a number of reasons," said Sergeant Adams, deployed from the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron out of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. "First, they offer a good opportunity to get a little variety and experience in some areas you might not be able to back home. Second, they're a great time to save up money, because I hardly spend anything over here. Finally, I could have been a truck or bus driver in the outside world and not have had to make the sacrifices that come with being in the military, but that's not what I wanted to do. This is what I wanted to do."

Working here at "The Rock", an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Sergeant Adams' primary job is to transport aircrews to and from aircraft. In addition, he also assists the base protocol office in transporting distinguished visitors around the installation as well as provides passenger and cargo movement services for various agencies both on and off base that do not have a large enough need to have their own vehicles or drivers.

Sergeant Adams said his unit also maintains a vehicle fleet for official use by the base populace and transient personnel and provides recovery and towing of inoperable and damaged vehicles.

"Here in the [U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility] there is a lot more emphasis placed on personnel accountability and security," said the four-year Air Force veteran. "Going on and off base requires a lot of documentation and approval from leadership. The aged vehicle fleet also brings with it some challenges."

Sergeant Adams said a typical day in the AOR for him begins around 5:45 a.m. with a changeover briefing after which he immediately heads out to replace one of the night shift operators who is on the road.

"While I wait for the aircrew members to finish their briefings and board the bus I can usually grab breakfast," he said. "The rest of the day consists of rinse and repeat because I typically only have an hour or so between aircrew runs. Often enough we'll have other aspects of our job that require our attention as well such as operating tractor trailers and forklifts or providing off base support."

The sergeant said what he enjoys most about his job is the variety that comes with it.

"I can sit at a desk and interact with customers on dispatch one day, unload a trailer full of cargo the next, and drive someone off base to an appointment the following day," he said. "I also enjoy the customer focused aspect of this job because generally if you have a pleasant attitude toward people, they'll return that same pleasant attitude. I also like dealing with people because everyone is so different, so again there's that variety aspect."

The sergeant said that with perks to a job, also come its share of challenges.

"Navigating surface streets and other areas designed for compact cars with a tractor and 40-foot trailer, especially [on the off base roads] where drivers won't even give you an inch is definitely a challenge," he said.

The NCO added that while he has enjoyed the last few months here, he has fond memories of his first deployment under the 386th AEW with what is now the 586th Air Expeditionary Group.

"The mission there felt a lot more like I was making a difference, because I was transporting the actual goods to the troops on the ground," he said. "Training for and then going outside the wire made everything feel more real, and more important."

"On top of that, I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and there's nothing like leading a convoy down 'EFP alley' at one in the morning," he said referring to explosively formed penetrators, which is a type of improvised explosive device.

When it comes to vehicle operations, the sergeant said there are a few things most people probably don't realize.

"Something most people might not know is that the majority of our deployments consist of eight months training and working with the Army to drive supplies into the AOR," he said. "Also, the vehicle operations career field was tied for third as the most deployed career field in the Air Force last year."

During the little time Sergeant Adams has off here, he said he likes to find ways to stay physically fit.

"In the evenings after work I've been trying to work on my cardio and fitness as much as possible," he said. "I do spin class four days a week and occasionally do some running. I also practice with our squadron softball team every other day."

The sergeant said he likes new challenges and can be very competitive in nature. In his most recent challenge, the NCO participated in a half marathon race and is hopeful to prove competitive in an "Amazing Race" challenge next week as part of the base's Diversity Week celebration.

"I've always been a competitive person," he said. "It's what drives me."

Day in the Life - Staff Sgt. Kyle Adams