Rock Solid Warrior: Tech. Sgt. Wendell Bowles Published Dec. 13, 2013 386th Air Expeditionacy Wing SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Rank/First & Last Name: Tech. Sgt. Wendell Bowles Deployed Unit: 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Protocol office Duty Title: Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge of Protocol Home unit/station: 96th Force Support Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL Family's military heritage: My father was in the Navy and I had two uncles who were in the Army. What is your mission here? My mission is to provide a great first impression of this base to any transient or visiting distinguished visitors. What are some of the best parts of your mission? The best parts of my mission are meeting new people and learning about the military from people who have a wealth of knowledge about it. What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them? Travel and movements are never locked in when it's comes to distinguished visitors, so I always prepare myself by staying flexible. How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? I work in lodging back at Eglin AFB, so it is a completely different world. I went from being behind the scenes to now being right out front. How many times have you deployed? This is my fourth deployment. What makes this deployment unique? My job. I have learned more about the military in these four short months then in my entire 13 year career. Why did you join the Air Force? I joined because I needed a way to take care of my new created family.