Adair is a former middle school and high school teacher-turned Army transportation officer. Today, she serves in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division as executive officer for Company G, 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade.Adair recalled how she decided to join the Army. “When I finished high school, I wasn’t too sure about anything,â€Â Adair, a Bonner Springs, Kan., native, said. “The stories of military life always fascinated me. My 12th-grade government teacher was a retired lieutenant colonel, and he used to tell the absolute best stories. “All his stories really fascinated [the class],â€Â she continued. “And it made you want to be in the military -- even just for a short time to say that you did it. I was definitely interested, but I wanted that college degree.â€Â Adair applied to the University of Kansas to pursue a career in teaching. “I enjoyed working with kids, so it just seemed a natural fit,â€Â she said. While pursuing her education degree, Adair again ended up in class listening to a teacher tell stories of the military. “The professor that we spent the most time with had great stories too,â€Â she said. “He was never in the military, but when he spoke about World War II and Vietnam, there was always such passion behind him. When people do look at our military, [they see] the history behind our whole country.â€Â Even though she was still fascinated by the stories, Adair said, she never had any serious intent to join the military at that time. While completing her graduate studies, Adair taught seventh-grade geography and 12th-grade government, just like her own teacher years before. “That last year I was teaching, I had my 12th-graders who were ready to go out into the world,â€Â she said. “At 18 years old, they are kind of in that transition where some of them kind of know what they want to do, but they are still full of energy and they want to get out there and do something. A lot of them were joining the military.â€Â And then, Adair realized she still wanted to be part of the military. “I figured that was a good time [to join the military] because I didn’t have a family yet and I could travel,â€Â she said. The Army was an easy choice when deciding which service to join, Adair said. “I never really looked at the Marines,â€Â she said. “At the time, I didn’t think Air Force, and I’m from Kansas so I definitely didn’t think Navy or Coast Guard. The way I looked at it, the Army is the military, just because it is so versatile and [it offers] the most opportunity. I could have done a whole slew of things in the Army.â€Â So in late spring of 2007, Adair officially became a U.S. Army officer. “I am a transportation officer,â€Â she said. “I was the distribution platoon leader for 22 months, and I got my chance while we were here in Iraq to be out on the road a lot with my guys, which was a natural fit.â€Â Adair said she quickly discovered she was even more suited for the military lifestyle than she expected. “At the end of the day, being a teacher and being in the military is about the same amount of work, which is kind of scary,â€Â she said with a laugh. “It [says a lot about] how hard teachers actually work.â€Â Adair said her training as a teacher helps every day, even when she may not notice it. “The younger soldiers, I know what they are interested in and I can kind of relate to them,â€Â she said. “Because all the conversations and all the classroom discussions I have had in the past, I know what they are going through at that age. With the added deployment, I can also relate to them as a soldier.â€Â Adair said the rewards of being in the military are even greater when she works with soldiers in a deployed setting. “The soldiers here are relied on to do an awful lot,â€Â she said. “It is kind of that same pride that a teacher would feel when their kids finally get that diploma. Except we get that on a much bigger scale over here because there is much more at stake.â€Â Among all the experiences Adair has had since joining the military, one will always stick out for her. “I think the biggest and best memory I am going to have of this deployment is being out on the road with my soldiers,â€Â she said. “After all the planning and all the days of training and load up, once you actually get into the truck and you leave the [base], that is the best feeling in the world. The mission is not even over yet, but you feel good because all that planning has already paid off.â€Â But there are downsides to every adventure, and for Adair, that’s being away from home. “The challenge is, when you look at your military career as opposed to your personal life, there isn’t a whole lot of time for your personal life,â€Â she said. “That has been a pretty big challenge for me, especially as a female in the Army, because you want to be a soldier, you want to be a leader. But at the same time, you also want the family stuff.â€Â However, Adair uses the examples set by her mentors in the military as inspiration. “There are enough female leaders I have seen who have managed to juggle both, so that is my goal,â€Â she said. Adair said while having a family is a goal of hers, for now, she embraces each moment she gets to spend with her soldiers. “The time you do get to hang out with the soldiers and talk to them is usually the best part of any officer’s day,â€Â she said. Adair said she plans to return to teaching eventually. “I don’t know if it’ll be three years from now, or 15,â€Â she said. “I think the Army is the life I want to stick with for right now.â€Â When Adair does go back to teaching, she said, she’ll have even more in common with her old high school teacher. “[The Iraq War] is the stuff we taught, and now I have firsthand knowledge of it,â€Â she said. “So one day when I do go back to teaching, the stories are going to be that much better.â€Â Oct. 15, 2010: By Army Pfc. Emily Knitter-U.S. Division Center

However, when Garutti deployed here in late 2009, he had no idea he would be handed two additional hats -- those of joint security station mayor and contracting officer representative. He wore the hats first at Joint Security Station Istiqlal in northeast Baghdad, and later, at Joint Security Station al Rashid in the city’s al Rashid district, while deployed with the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Battalion. “Being an infantry squad leader, [this] definitely wasn’t what I expected to be doing over here,â€Â Garutti said. “A lot of people skills and managerial skills come into play.â€Â For the past nine months, Garutti, a Merritt Island, Fla., native, has juggled mayoral duties -- managing daily operations and life support for the bases -- as well as contracting officer representative duties. As a COR, Garutti has served as the “eyes on siteâ€Â at both joint security stations to ensure U.S. government contractors deliver the services they’ve been contracted to provide. Garutti said the two positions are “a totally different animal.â€Â A typical day for Garutti involves inspecting the work performed by Iraqi contractors, monitoring fuel usage and water consumption, issuing supplies, and occasionally learning a new trade. “I came here and had to build quite a few things just out of necessity,â€Â Garutti said. “I’ve learned carpentry by Google and trial-and-error.â€Â Since moving to JSS al Rashid in May, Garutti has constructed a flight of wooden stairs and a containment area for petroleum- and oil-based products. He also has partitioned off a room to provide more billeting space. The most challenging aspect of being a mayor and a COR, Garutti said, has been learning how to work through cultural differences with the Iraqi laborers and business owners. “You have to know how to work with people,â€Â he said. Garutti said he always maintains a sense of pride in what he accomplishes. “I’ve shown my command that I can get the job done,â€Â he said. “I’ve got people that count on me to do the work I need to do. If I fail at that, they don’t get what they need.â€Â Oct. 14, 2010: By Army Sgt. Mary S. Katzenberger- U.S. Division Center

Instead, the 58-year-old volunteered to serve in Iraq. The decision, she said, was met with a combination of shock and awe.“While my family and friends were supportive, they … initially thought I was crazy to want to do this,â€Â she said.But Eberly had all her wits about her when she signed up to deploy. For 22 years she had watched her daughter’s Navy career unfold from the sidelines, offering unfailing support as her daughter headed out to sea for long periods of time or to new assignments across the nation. Her daughter, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Heather Kline, retires this month after a career that took her from enlisted to officer, from ship to recruiting office. And Eberly patiently waited for her own adventure to begin. “My mother always wanted to join the military, but she was a young mother and then became a single mom, so the opportunity didn’t arise for her,â€Â Kline said. That is, until now. Eberly, a mobilization planning specialist for Defense Logistics Agency Distribution in New Cumberland, Pa., learned about civilian deployment opportunities through a co-worker, who had deployed through the Defense Department’s Civilian Expeditionary Workforce program. The program trains and equips civilians to deploy overseas in support of military members and missions worldwide. Eberly was hooked. She’d always wanted to deploy, she said, and figured this could be a chance to put her civilian environmental safety experience to good use. Her supervisor, Sue Alpaugh, backed her immediately. “When the [Civilian Expeditionary Workforce] light bulb went off for Barb giving her this great opportunity of a lifetime, she immediately signed up,â€Â she said. “For me, even though we miss Barb in the office and what she brought to the table every day, I am glad for her that she punched her ticket before she retires.â€Â While her co-workers offered immediate support, her family and friends, concerned for her welfare, questioned her decision and ability to take on the task at her age. “I was kind of shocked she wanted to do this so late in the game, so close to retirement,â€Â her son, Michael Eberly, said. But age isn’t a number to Eberly, it’s a state of mind. “Of course I did have reservations about, ‘Will I really be able to do this?’â€Â she said. “But I’ve always learned that it’s not age or gender that stops a person from finishing a tough challenge. It’s a lack of will.â€Â Despite initial reservations, her long-time partner, Mike Miles, gave his seal of approval. “She’d been wanting to do something out of the ordinary,â€Â he said. “She’s always done anything she can to support the country and the military. I told her, ‘Go ahead and do it. Have an adventure.’â€Â “She’s always been a go-getter,â€Â added her mother, 84-year-old Bertha Henry, who has been known to brag about her daughter at Bingo nights. “I’m proud of her.â€Â After attending a two-week predeployment training for civilians at the Camp Atterbury National Deployment Center in central Indiana, Eberly flew to Iraq to support the 199th Garrison Command public works department on Camp Victory. She now wakes up each morning, not to the cool, lush landscape of the Northeast, but to the austere scenery and sweltering heat of the desert. “U.S. citizens should count their blessings every day for their freedom,â€Â she said. “As the saying goes, ‘You’re not in Kansas anymore.’â€Â Although pushing 60, Eberly handles the hefty protective gear and physical demands her job requires without a problem. She’s learned to “pack light or carry a heavy load,â€Â she explained. And to ease her loved ones’ minds, she stays in constant contact with her family back home, who have grown accustomed in time to the idea of her deployment. “I love sharing the story,â€Â Kline said. “I still get raised eyebrows and ‘Did you say your Mom is deployed?’ “But I’m extremely proud of her,â€Â she added. “If anything happened to her I’d be crushed, but proud of her sacrifice. She’s willing to put herself where others wouldn’t. I love that about her.â€Â As for Eberly, she’s determined to live each day of her yearlong deployment to the fullest. “I wanted the opportunity to walk in a warfighter’s shoes, and now I’m doing things most civilians only dream about,â€Â she said. “I’m truly looking forward to it being one of the most awesome experiences of my life.â€Â Oct. 7, 2010: By Elaine Wilson- American Forces Press Service

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Robert Hofmann, who also serves as an assistant deputy commander with the Palm Springs, Calif., Civil Air Patrol’s Composite Squadron 11, was awarded the Charles E. “Chuckâ€Â Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award after completing CAP’s aerospace education program for senior members Sept. 26.Hofmann, who joined CAP in 2008, said the best part about receiving the award is that he now can use what he learned to contribute to CAP’s mentoring program for children and young adults ages 12-20. “I took a 100-question exam,â€Â Hofmann said. “It took me about two hours to complete and was an elective part of completing the next level of my professional development in the CAP. “It felt good, as it is the first step in my education in aerospace knowledge, which is a very important part of CAP and CAP's cadet program,â€Â continued Hofmann, a native of London, Ontario, Canada. “Teaching the cadets about leadership, drill and physical fitness is a skill set that the Marine Corps has given me, but there is still the aerospace education aspect of CAP, which I also need to learn to be able to fully teach and mentor the cadets.â€Â The Civil Air Patrol is a nonprofit organization with 59,000 members nationwide. In its Air Force auxiliary role, CAP performs 90 percent of inland search and rescue missions in the continental United States, as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, and was credited with saving 72 lives in fiscal 2009. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 24,000 young people participating in CAP cadet programs. “Many of these people, both young Marines and cadets, come from backgrounds where they have had little or no guidance in their lives, and these young people have taken the first step to bettering themselves,â€Â Hofmann said. “By having enlisted in the Marines, or by having joined the cadet program with CAP, they have shown that they want to do something more. It is at that point where I can help them with becoming better people and citizens and mentor them for success.â€Â Hofmann also challenged more Marines and sailors to step up and reach out to their communities. “There are so many organizations that need help, and it is very gratifying to give that help,â€Â he said. “I have met some of the hardest-working people I have ever known in the CAP, and they aren’t doing it for anything more than the simple feeling of a job well done. A lot of people think they don’t have time to volunteer, but any effort to lend a hand is appreciated.â€Â Oct. 6, 2010: By Marine Corps Cpl. R. Logan Kyle- Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center