Fantastic four: Panel discusses deployments in joint environments

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vernon Cunningham
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Guests at the Nov. 16 Lunch 'N Learn heard what serving in a joint environment is like when a four-person panel discussed their experience while deployed during the Global War on Terrorism.

Representatives of the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines answered questions and discussed how cooperation in joint operations is not only winning the GWOT.

Unfamiliar territory
No one is ever really at ease working outside their comfort zone or with people they really don't know. But that is what Marine Gunnery Sgt. Charles Lazard, Sheppard's Marine liaison, faced while deployed with Army engineers.

He said he was comfortable with his Marines, but wasn't sure about the support he'd get from his Army brethren while serving in Fallujah, Iraq. He said trust was gradually built up between the two services as they became dependent on each other for daily tasks and survival.

What it boiled down to for Army Staff Sgt. John Hrabar, a dental lab instructor at the 381st Training Squadron, was that his time spent with Marines from December 2004 to December 2005 was about providing contributions for the same cause.

"We all bring different parts to the team," he said.

Some experiences didn't involve working with sister services at all, as Air Force Master Sgt. Angela Carter, 82nd Medical Operations Squadron, found out during her deployment overseas. She said most of her work was with Canadian and British soldiers.

But it wasn't necessarily the coalition flavor she brought home from the Canucks and Brits. She said she brought back things that would enrich her own Airmen.

"Mostly I took back their leadership styles," she said. "I will remember it for the rest of my life."

The hardest part
Deployment is hard on a person serving in the military. For the four members of the panel, the time spent from home impacted them differently. But a sense of service and contributing to something greater is what always has separated private sector civilians from military members.

For Sergeant Lazard, that meant leaving three days before his son was born. He said as difficult as that may seem, he felt a commitment to the mission and to lead the way.

"I promised my Marines that I would be the first one in and the last one out," he said.

But along with that comes the tough decisions once in the battle zone - decisions that could be the difference between life and death.

"The most difficult thing was making sure (my Marines) came back home safe," Sergeant Lazard said. "Thank God we all came back."

The hardest part of Hospitalman 3rd Class Robert Rubio's deployment was witnessing the hardships of common people affected by the GWOT. It's like a sanity check on what people in America have.

"You realize that you are only here for one year," he said. "They live like this every day. It makes you appreciate everything this country has to offer. Never take anything for granted."

Get ready
There are a number of checklists and appointments prior to grabbing a duffel bag and stepping on board a plane or ship. But dismissing the opportunity to get ready before a deployment - mentally, physically, emotionally, financially - is something the panel advised against.

"Make sure all of your personal things are taken care of before you leave," Sergeant Lazard said. "(Also), have and open mind. Don't go trying to be a hero."

Sergeant Carter said training is also an important item on the checklist that should be taken seriously.

"Being out there is not the time to learn," she said. "The time to learn is now."

Sergeant Hrabar said another important aspect of being ready, staying ready and having a successful mission comes during down time.

"Call home," he said. "They are worrying, too."