ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
The number of Airmen who take on roles once held by the Marines and Soldiers increases as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continue. Airman 1st Class Joe Nguyen, 744th Communications Squadron infrastructure technician, is one Airman who took on such a role in a recent deployment to Afghanistan.
When deployed as an infrastructure tech, a position which Airman Nguyen describes as a "jack-of-all-trades for communication," he served as the only certified Air Force MK-19 gunner for the Marine 201st 3rd Brigade on his first deployment, from December 2008 to June 2009. Because he showed leadership skills and unyielding courage, he soon became the personal driver for the Marine brigade's leadership. Airman Nguyen said that he was surprised by the level of responsibility his brigade gave him during this deployment.
"This deployment also gave me a taste of NCO leadership. As an Airman, I'm used to being told what to do and how to fix devices. During my deployment to Afghanistan, I instead found myself teaching NCOs how to use their equipment," Airman Nguyen said.
During his deployment, Airman Nguyen spent four days each week in the field, far from the safe confines of the base.
"At night we'd sleep outside out in the middle of nowhere under the stars," he said. "During the day, we'd get out and meet locals. I came to understand the Afghan culture and how they greet each other. I learned basic phrases in their language and even ate their food. It was amazing," Airman Nguyen reflected. "When you are a visitor to their home, they give you the best of what they have to give. If you didn't eat it, it was a great insult."
While out in the field, Airman Nguyen would provide fellow military troops and their counterparts with supplies and humanitarian aid. Additionally, he used his communication skills to operate, troubleshoot and repair their equipment. He saw his time as an example of joint services on a joint mission.
"We'd go on patrol together around our line-of-sight perimeters or to see how far we could go into enemy territory. Basically, anything that the Marines and Soldiers did, I was right out there doing it with them. At first, you could tell that the Marines and the Soldiers were hesitant on how we, the Airmen, would perform, but I learned if I had the right attitude, they gave us respect. Ultimately, they appreciated us being out there and found we were capable of doing basically anything they could do," Airman Nguyen said.
Working closely with the Marines and Soldiers has given Airman Nguyen a unique perspective, especially as it relates to being fit to fight.
"While working side by side with the Soldiers and Marines, I took the opportunity to learn from them. I believe we should PT harder and increase our physical standards - or train prior to deployments in similar terrain before deploying. I do weight training a lot in the gym, but learned from them that it wasn't about how much you could lift; it was about cardio and endurance more. Before anyone deploys, I recommend a lot of running and calisthenics training to be able to be combat ready."
Overall, Airman Nguyen is thankful for his deployment experience.
"Working with the Marines and Soldiers was a good opportunity because it gave me a chance to look at the big picture," he said. "To actually go out and see a world beyond the protective wire is an unforgettable experience."