PHOTO: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeela Matthews, a member of the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 134th Civil Engineer Squadron with the 134th Air Refueling Wing based in Knoxville, assists in the construction of a new building at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – First-time deployments for new airmen can be intimidating, even terrifying for the introvert who isn't used to being a part of the team atmosphere that comes with being in the military. Teamwork is highly emphasized in the military and service members are encouraged to work together to get tasks completed efficiently. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Ben Mellon, 134th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs The feelings of nervousness, fear or even embarrassment come easily in this situation.Meet Your Military
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PHOTO: Army Pfc. Nathan Currie, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the 756th Explosive Ordnance Detachment, recently helped save a woman's life after her car went into an alligator- and snake-infested pond on Fort Stewart, Ga. Courtesy photo Army Pfc. FORT STEWART, Ga. – A U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal technician recently rescued a woman from alligator-infested waters here. Nathan Currie from the 756th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company was fishing on the south dock of Fort Stewart's Holbrook Pond when he heard a splash from a sedan driving into the pond. The soldier dropped his fishing rod and sprang into action. Currie drove his car around the pond to where the submerged sedan was flipped over with only the driver's side tires visible above the murky water.
Dives into the pond Currie, who hails from Oklahoma City, dove into the water to see if someone was in the car. He felt a body in the back seat and came back up for air. He then swam back into the car and pulled the woman from the vehicle. The woman had been under the water about five minutes and was turning blue. Currie revived her with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and stayed with her until paramedics arrived on the scene. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Wylie Hutchison, the senior enlisted leader for the Fort Stewart-based 188th Infantry Brigade, joined Currie at the scene and took part in the rescue. While Currie was performing CPR on the woman, Hutchison jumped in the pond and checked the vehicle three more times to ensure no one else was inside.
Read more: Meet Your Military: Soldier Rescues Woman From Alligator-infested Pond
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PHOTO: Army Spc. Lydia Boll, left, and Army Capt. Andrea Boll receive Army Commendation Medals for their service with the 452nd Combat Support Hospital at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Sept. 5, 2014. CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – Many have heard U.S. soldiers calling their comrades family, only a relatively small number of soldiers have served overseas with a member of their immediate family. The mother and daughter pair deployed together and work in the U.S. military hospital. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Isra Pananon In November 2013, Army Capt. Andrea Boll and Army Spc. Lydia Boll of the 452nd Combat Support Hospital were mobilized to prepare for their deployment to Kuwait.
Mother-and-daughter duo This mother-and-daughter duo has served in the same Army Reserve medical unit since April 2010, when Andrea joined the military. Andrea said she never would expect her children to do something she would not do, so she joined the Army Nurse Corps as a medical surgical nurse to give back to her country. “She followed me into the military, and I followed her into the medical field,” Lydia said. Lydia joined the military in 2009, after being inspired by her grandfather, who served in the Army as a saxophonist in the Army Band. Back home, Lydia resides in Wisconsin with her mother and father and Lydia’s four younger siblings. The experience of being deployed with her daughter has forced her two youngest children to grow up fast, Andrea said. Her husband, Jim Boll, has embraced this experience with open arms, and is bonding with their other kids at home, she added. The Bolls’ middle child, Emerson, also is in the Army, and will be in Afghanistan when Andrea and Lydia return home. When they first heard of the mission to Kuwait, all three wanted to deploy together and get Emerson on the roster as a combat medic. But it was not to be, and Emerson is serving in Afghanistan on a forward surgical team.
Read more: Meet Your Military: Mother, Daughter Strengthen Bond in Kuwait
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PHOTO: Air Force Airman 1st Class Nana Sefa is deployed to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. Following this deployment, Sefa, a native of Ghana, will see his wife after two years apart. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Being away from family is nothing new to Air Force Airman 1st Class Nana Sefa. The 455th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management analysis craftsman deployed here for six months from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, said he understands that being away from family is difficult, as he has experienced separation his entire life. Sefa grew up in Ghana. When he was 4 years old, his father left to go to America. After his father was gone, Sefa said, he constantly moved around Ghana, taking turns living with his mother and his grandparents and at boarding schools. “It was tough not having my mom around sometimes, especially when I was a kid,” he said. “I remember wanting to leave with her when I lived with my grandparents. I would not want to fall asleep, afraid that she would leave when I did. The next day when I woke up, I would always ask my grandparents for her.”
Although it was difficult moving around, Sefa said, he learned to overcome being away from his mother, sister and father. At 19, after graduating from boarding school, he learned that his father was hoping Sefa and his sister would come to live with him in California. Back with family “After boarding school, I was finally able to be home with my mom,” Sefa said. “We were having the opportunity to get to know each other more. Then, after graduation, my father filed for my sister and me to move with him to the U.S.
Read more: Meet Your Military: Airman's Service Helps to Unite His Family
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PHOTO: Army Staff Sgt. Michael Smith prepares to cycle in the Warrior Games Trials at West Point, N.Y., in June 2014. Smith qualified for cycling, but opted to compete in swimming and track and field at the Warrior Games in Colorado next month. Courtesy photo 
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas – A hit-and-run driver robbed Staff Sgt. Michael Smith of his arm and nearly his life, but failed to impact his single-minded determination. “My commitment was to staying in the Army for 20 [years],” Smith said. “There was no way I was going to be shortchanged due to someone else’s negligence.” After two years of intense rehabilitation and training at Brooke Army Medical Center, Smith’s persistence paid off. An above-the-elbow amputee, Smith met every standard and was approved earlier this month to return to duty as a career soldier. “I’m very excited about what the future holds,” the 15-year veteran said. “With or without my injury, I want my daughter to know what true commitment looks like.”
Commitment never wavered In the years since his accident, Smith’s commitment has never wavered. A recruiter in Nashville, Tennessee, at the time, Smith was riding his motorcycle when a texting driver slammed into him from behind. He flew over the guardrail and was then hit midair by a driver coming from the opposite direction. “I was knocked unconscious on impact, and when I woke up I was lying on the highway,” Smith recalled. “My boots and helmet had come off, and my arm was hanging on by the skin inside my jacket sleeve.” Smith tried to move off the road but was unable. The texting driver had driven off but the second driver, a Navy corpsman, rushed over and tended to his wounds until the ambulance arrived. In the coming months, Smith underwent six surgeries due to infection, which eventually claimed most of his right arm.
Read more: Meet Your Military: Army Amputee Keeps Innate Optimism
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PHOTO: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeela Matthews, a member of the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 134th Civil Engineer Squadron with the 134th Air Refueling Wing based in Knoxville, assists in the construction of a new building at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – First-time deployments for new airmen can be intimidating, even terrifying for the introvert who isn't used to being a part of the team atmosphere that comes with being in the military. Teamwork is highly emphasized in the military and service members are encouraged to work together to get tasks completed efficiently. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Ben Mellon, 134th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs The feelings of nervousness, fear or even embarrassment come easily in this situation.This leads you to wonder if you're going to be accepted into a tight-knit group of people who already are familiar with each other, if you're going to do a good job, or just end up making a fool out of yourself because you don't have a good grasp on what is expected of you. Being prepared and having the right perspective can allow for a more enjoyable first duty deployment experience. "I'm not going to lie, I was nervous," said Air Force Airman 1st Class Michael Loy, a heavy equipment operator with the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron. "I came into this not knowing anything about it and it was kind of a shock like, ‘Uh oh, what have I got myself into? I wonder how these people are going to treat me?’ Honestly, I was shaking in my boots." Being nervous is normal The good news is, this is a perfectly normal reaction and the important thing to remember is most everyone in the military has had the same feelings at one point or another in their career. Although everyone's experience may be different, everyone understands the feeling of nervousness. However, it is possible to prepare yourself ahead of time to avoid allowing those feelings to dictate whether or not you have a good time on a first deployment. "Honestly, within the first hour of being here and getting to work I started to feel comfortable," Loy said. "We started laying blocks and I started moving around and talking to people learning about their different jobs and it was a big stress reliever. Once I opened up and started talking to people I realized that everyone wanted to meet me and everyone accepted me with open arms and I started meeting new people and it was just great."
There are a few different things airmen can do to prepare themselves ahead of time for a more enjoyable experience on a first TDY. The first thing they need to do is have an open mind. Be outgoing, meet people "Be open-minded," Loy said. "Try to focus on going out and helping and learning as much as you can. It's all about who you're talking to and about getting to know your fellow airmen. Meet new people and just have fun with it because if you're too serious you're not going to learn as much as you could. Just have fun with it."