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A Rock Solid Warrior: Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Van Veldhuizen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bowcock
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  This week's Rock Solid Warrior is Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Van Veldhuizen. Van Veldhuizen is a force protection intelligence officer with the 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron. The Sacramento, California native is deployed from the 547th Intelligence Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

Q: What is your family's military heritage (anyone else in your family who was/is in the military?):
A: My father served in the Army Reserve for four years before I was born. When I was little and asked him why he joined he said something along the lines of "everyone should serve a term", I guess that stuck with me...and then some as I serve my second enlistment.

Q: What is your mission here (in general terms)?
A: My mission is to provide Force Protection Intelligence to the 386th wing commander and defense forces commander to include developing bi-weekly ground intelligence summaries, local threat assessments and wing current intelligence briefs. I am the wing intelligence liaison to our ESFS Defenders, U.S. Embassy and US forces here.

Q: What are some of the best parts of your mission?
A: Working with and for our Defenders, hands down. One of the best Intel jobs you can have is working ground-based Intel, talk about job fulfillment! Working with ground forces I know instantly the affect my job has on the mission at hand, not the mission far away conducted by faces I don't recognize, but here, conducted by the men and women I serve with.

Q: What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them?
A: I know all jobs have challenges, and everywhere you go there are the universal challenges that comes with people leading people; but I have been very blessed here to work with and for good people who keep their eyes on a higher prize. In the grand scheme challenges have been few. I am just happy to have had the chance to serve and connect with amazing people.

Q: How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base?
A: The greatest thing about the 1N0 career field is that everywhere you go the job changes. At home station, I focus mostly on Integrated Air Defense and strategic Intel, completely different than what I do here. At home station, the to-do list seems endless, but when you're deployed the mission is most often very specific, deliberate and fulfilling.

Q: How many times have you deployed?
A: This is my 5th deployment.

Q: What makes this deployment unique?
A: Everything. This is my third time in the region but my first to The Rock. It's been a very unique experience, from the job, to the people, to the environment.

Q: Why did you join the Air Force?
A: My Dad told me everyone should go do their time, I really didn't want to go to college and I figured it would be something great to do while I figured out what I was going to do when I grew up; little did I know I would fall in love.

(The Rock Solid Warrior is a weekly spotlight focused on an outstanding member of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. These unsung heroes have been nominated by their unit leadership to be recognized for their efforts while deployed.)