A Major Award and Air Force Nurses

Wow! It's been like a week and a half since my last post! Nothing much has happened aside from a battle royale between my gut and some wayward virus that literally turned dreams to reality. Yeah. I'd been fighting this stomach bug for a day or so and then Monday night I had this crazy dream where someone shot me in the stomach. The pain was intense! At some point my brain took over and I realized I was dreaming so I shook myself awake expecting everything to be OK. Unfortunately the pain persisted! It actually took me a minute to realize, even in my waking state, that I had not actually been "gutshot". Yeah...

Anyway, onto more important matters.

This blog has been nominated for Best Navy Blog in the 2011 "Milbloggies"! Voting ends soon (like, today or tomorrow) so go to the website HERE and cast your vote! Thanks in advance for all your support and remember to vote early and vote often!

Today I'm going to introduce you to the remaining two Air Force nurses whom you have yet to meet. These ladies are both integral parts of our team whose leadership and clinical skills augment our Navy group beautifully. They were here to welcome us when we arrived and, unfortunately, will be departing two to three months before we do. We can only hope their replacements bring as much to the table as they have!

Captain Trogdon brings many years experience to the table in both nursing and leadership. She's a quiet one who, when not busy managing our pharmaceuticals or directing her team, can be found soaking up some rays in the alley or sweating it out to P90X DVDs. We rely on her in so many ways to keep us pointed in the right direction. So without further ado... Ms. Wendy Trogdon!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Wendy Jo Trogdon

SSSS: Code name?

None

SSSS: Where were you born?

Greensboro, NC

SSSS: Married or single?

Single

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

17 years. Enlisted for seven, as a medic. Then ten as an officer.

SSSS: Any tattoos?

Yes. Patriotic hearts on my shoulder!

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Chick-fil-a

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

Ice cream

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

Liver or brussel sprouts

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

A Walk to Remember… It’s between that and Silence of the Lambs.

SSSS: Wow! What a difference!

That just shows my diversity in taste... "diversity in taste" sounds better than crazy!

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

What?

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars. First time I saw it was at a drive in. I was like 12.

SSSS: Mac or PC?

PC

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Aren’t both of ‘em dead now?

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Libra

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

On me or them? Depends on the mood. Both will work!

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

Probably go home for my niece's 21^st (birthday) so I could drink a beer with her.

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

Don’t drink it

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

A mixture of both

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Yeah

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

A stuffed monkey

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

It’s been a good experience but tough. Definitely worthwhile being here. We’re doing a lot of good. Helping a lot of good people and worked with a lot of good people.

Major Jones is our most senior Air Force nurse here at the FST. She works hard to ensure that everyone is properly trained in all their duties as well as cross-trained to do other jobs. With as small a group as we are, her efforts to ensure that every position on every team has at least one, and usually multiple, backups is extremely important. Her quiet, calm manner makes her a very pleasant person to be around and her experience as a senior nurse brings so much to the team! Quite simply, Major Jones is a "Major" asset!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Gloria Greene Jones

SSSS: Code name?

Wonder Woman

SSSS: Why that one?

She was my childhood hero. I liked the live action show with Linda Carter. I watched it diligently!

SSSS: Where were you born?

Seoul Korea. My father was in the Army. I was actually Army Guard before joining the Air Force

SSSS: Married or single?

Married. My husband was in the Army. He's retired now and works for FEMA.

SSSS: Any kids?

A three year old daughter. This is the second deployment she's had to go through.

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

Since 1988

SSSS: Any tattoos?

No

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Seafood and Korean food.

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

Chicken curry.

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

Asparagus or Okra

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Growing up it was Sparkle. That was one about a girl who grew up in a bad neighborhood but then made it out!

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

I don’t watch Twilight. I don't like scary movies. I get nightmares!

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars

SSSS: Mac or PC?

For music… Mac. But otherwise I’d say PC

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie

SSSS: Astrological sign?

LIbra

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Depends on the persons physique...

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

Heaven

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

I don’t drink near beer

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Probably more country

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

No

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

For sweets there are these resealable packages of Chips Ahoy. Besides that I like the beef jerky.

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

Tomorrow is never promised so enjoy today! Tell your loved ones that you love them!

Spa Day!?!?!

Yes. Those are my toes. The colors on the right are for the US and the colors on the left are for Afghanistan. Soooo... why in the world are they painted? Is it because of the repeal of "Don't ask don't tell"? Definitely not. I suppose the main reason could be chalked up to boredom. Boredom here is actually a good thing. Boredom means that kids aren't picking up Soviet era ordnance or running out in front of heavy vehicles. It means that US forces and our allies aren't getting blown up by IED's or shot by the Taliban. And it means that I went to the spa for a little "me time" today.

The barbershop and spa are run by AAFES and provide almost all the same services you can get at your typical spa back home.

The big differences are the prices...

The presence of automatic weapons...

...and the fact that afterwards you can't go home, sit in the hot tub, and enjoy a glass of Seasmoke. Now, aside from the occasional massage, I'm not a big patron of spas so I can't tell you whether this is a good spa or not, but the ladies are very nice and it killed almost half a day so it was definitely worth it.

We started with the manicure and pedicure or "Mani-Pedi" as my lovely wife and daughter refer to it. They clipped my nails and cleaned all the gunk from around and under them and then buffed and polished! Pretty sweet, I guess... But not all that relaxing except for the foot massage part which, truth be told, didn't last very long. That said, I suppose I should be grateful for the fact that the pedicurist would even touch my gnarly dead left big toenail which has been an abomination for years thanks to too much time in climbing shoes and multiple full toenail losses from rugby mishaps.

We then moved on to the massage and facial portion of the treatment. The massage was definitely one of the best I've had and included the use of knees as well as actual walking on my back! An outstanding job and, considering the the price, I'll certainly be back for more! When I rolled onto my back for the second half of the massage they started the facial as well. I have no idea what all the different lotions, creams, and masks were that they used but the facial was, without a doubt, as relaxing as the massage.

I know. I'm in a war zone getting "pampered" at the salon. What the heck? It certainly is in stark contrast to the way the people we're helping here live and reminds me of how very blessed we all are to live in the United States where such things are taken for granted as normal. Every day, as I look across the valley at goat herders, mud huts and dirt roads I am reminded of how lucky I am. Every night I thank God for the fact that I'm an American and that He has blessed me so richly. What started as just a day at the spa has ended up being yet another reminder of how good I really have it.

Navy Nurses!

Today I'm showcasing two of Navy Nursing's finest! LCDR Mike Finckbone and LCDR (sel) Malissa Wickersham are two more incredible members of the team. They've been with us since day one at Dix and both have managed to maintain sanity while helping the rest of us to maintain our own!

Malissa is our emergency care nurse but is also a nurse practitioner! Her abilities in both capacities are a huge bonus, especially in those situations where we become nearly overwhelmed with multiple casualties. She is a great mentor to the corpsmen and also serves as our morale officer organizing auctions for dog attacks, St. Patty's day parties, and Friday movie nights as well as personally baking birthday cakes whenever someone's big day comes up. It's a pleasure to introduce you to a woman who brings much to the table but asks for nothing in return!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Malissa Dawn Wickersham

SSSS: Code name?

Domina

SSSS: Why that one?

Because I’m dominant! Ask my husband. It’s true! He’s not afraid of a strong woman.

SSSS: Where were you born?

Rapid City, SD

SSSS: Married or single?

Married

SSSS: Any kids?

Two kids. A son who’s 18 and a daughter who will be 16 next month.

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

10 years

SSSS: Do you have any tattoos?

I do. I have a tramp stamp!

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Crab stuffed shells that I make with with sautéed spinach and alfredo sauce

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

Chocolate cheesecake

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

Ice cream. Just not an ice cream person. It's not that I WON'T eat it... I just usually don't.

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

The Wizard of Oz. I always wanted to be the good witch. I’ve got the witch part down, it’s the "good" I’m working on!

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Team Jacob. He’s hot. I actually have a cardboard cutout of him at home!

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

The original Star Trek. It was something me and my Dad watched together. That and boxing!

SSSS: Mac or PC?

I own PC’s but people are trying to convince me to convert to Mac. I’m thinking about converting.

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Neither. I’m a country girl. I’ll take Shania Twain. When I was real little I was in love with Mac Davis!

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Virgo. And when I go home I WILL be a reborn virgin!

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Commando

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

My bedroom...

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

St Pauli

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Country

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Yeah. I do. I can’t remember exactly who said it though.

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

A sexy letter from my husband.

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

Drink more wine. It makes people happy and there will be less war!

Wow! Alot of info from "Wick", as we like to call her! Now to move on to our Operating Room nurse extraordinaire, Mike Finckbone. Mike is a former Marine who went and got edu-ma-cated and joined the Navy. He cracks the whip on both our enlisted OR techs and all of us surgeons to keep things in the OR organized and efficient. His wisdom and vast experience are invaluable in this setting. He knows how to make things happen and always has an alternate solution to a problem if supplies or experience threaten to limit our capability. A true example or the "Semper Gumby" (Always Flexible) attitude needed to practice good medicine in bad places, Mike is an ever present ally to us all.

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Mike Todd Finckbone

SSSS: Code name?

Lunista

SSSS: Why that one?

He was a trainer and purveyor of gladiators

SSSS: Where were you born?

Centralia, IL

SSSS: Married or single?

Married

SSSS: Any kids?

Three; Lindsay 20, Sean 15, London 12

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

20 years military. 8 in the USMC, 12 in the Navy

SSSS: Any tattoos?

One. 8^th Counter Intelligence Unit. They paid for it! I was drunk! Always said if I get another it’d be a biohazard symbol on my backside!

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Fresh grilled grouper. I miss fresh fish!

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

Eggplant parmesan.

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

Jello. I refuse to eat Jello. I’m a grown man and my Mom can’t make me. Kool-aid too!

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Good question... Clockwork Orange.

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

I have to go with Jacob because Edward looks feminine and constipated. I don’t trust him.

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Trek. The old one. I wanted to be Kirk because he always got the blue chicks!

SSSS: Mac or PC?

Once you go Mac, you’ll never go back!

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Who?

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Aries

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Boxers

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

Angelina Jolie’s house. I have a hall pass for Angelina or Madonna.

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

Lowenbrau

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Rock-n roll

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Yeah

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

My fast hikers. So I can hike the perimeter. They’re sweet!

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

It’s not good to be a land-locked sailor! I miss the water!

Thanks for reading, everyone! See you next time!

Nikki Tucker and Tucking Into Steaks!

Today I'd like to introduce you to Captain Nikki Tucker, United States Air Force! Nikki is one of our nurses here at FOB Lagman. She hails from Oklahoma and uses her Oklahoma attitude to help keep us all in line! She works on a trauma team here and aside from providing outstanding care for all our patients, she has a great sense of humor and a quick wit about her. She even came up with the winning slogan for our command coin! Captain Tucker is an integral part of our team and I couldn't be happier to be able to introduce you to her!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Nikki Michelle Tucker

SSSS: Code name?

Snowflake

SSSS: Why that one?

Well, I could say it’s because I’m kinda pale with dark hair. The other reason is that the former team said some of the Army girls were going make me their girlfriend so it was like a prison name!

SSSS: Where were you born?

Oklahoma City

SSSS: Married or single?

Married

SSSS: Any kids?

A 2 year old son named Seth

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

9 years in July

SSSS: Any tattoos?

No. I think I'm one of the few people on the FOB without one!

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Pizza... Real pizza.... Old Chicago Pizza!

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

I guess the Omelets are pretty good...

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

I'm very picky so I won’t eat most of it.

SSSS: Picky Nikki?

Yeah... I guess!

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

No idea. There are so many I can’t pick one.

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Well... I read all the books so, even though I know Bella ends up with Edward and everything I still like Jacob better!

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars

SSSS: Mac or PC?

What’s the difference?

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Aries

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Boxer-briefs!

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would go?

An island in the Carribean.

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

St. Pauli

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Both

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Yeah. It’s those brother and sister group people… I forgot their names

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

Pictures of my son.

SSSS: Is that really your favorite or just the only one you're willing to tell me about?

The only one I'm willing to tell you about!

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

It’s been exciting to be here! I'm glad I came but am so ready to come home!

So now that you have gotten to meet Nikki I wanted to tell you about an AMAZING lady who, along with her husband, runs a family farm in Virginia. First, the background...

Getting good, properly cooked, fresh meat out here is extremely difficult. The DFAC does the best they can but it's pretty much impossible to cook for 500 people plus and get it perfect. A few weeks ago, Christian began researching places that might ship fresh meat, packed in dry ice, to APO addresses. It turns out that very few companies are willing. Ultimately, he was able to contact Robin Rider of Rider's Backfield Farm, in Etlan, VA and, after some discussion about the logistics, she agreed to help us out!

Sunday afternoon at mail call our dreams of fresh beef came true! Two T-bones, two Porterhouse, two Ribeyes and two Sirloins in addition to 6 pounds of ground beef, four pounds of sausages, and a "goodie box" full of jams, jellies, and homemade soap arrived! The meat was all still cold and some was still frozen! Needless to say, we immediately fired up the barbecue and went to work!

The result was amazing! The grassfed beef from Rider's, rubbed with a little olive oil and seasoned with just salt and pepper came off the grill sizzling and juicy! The first bite was like heaven and the beef just melted in our mouths! We were two VERY happy surgeons by the time we put down our forks, gnawed on the bones, and licked the juice off the plates! A HUGE THANKS to Robin and her husband Jimmy there at Backfield! You are the best! Anyone looking for top quality grass fed beef please contact Jimmy and Robin at the link above. You won't be disappointed!

The Gas Passers...

No. This entry is not about flatulence. As I continue to introduce you to the team, it sometimes makes sense to clump people together by the job they do. Sometimes it has more to do with who I've actually interviewed so far. In any event, today I'm featuring our anesthesia team. We (usually) can't do surgery without anesthesia and, since we ARE a forward surgical team, we would be relatively crippled without these two "gas passers", as we affectionately refer to them.

LCDR Wade Vincent is our anesthesiologist coming jet fresh from the island of Oahu where he practices at Tripler Army Medical Center. Funny thing about Dr. Vincent; when we were at NMPS on the first official day of this deployment, a somewhat familiar looking guy approached me and knew my name. Obviously it was Wade, and he recognized me as having been a year or so ahead of him it Utah and then again at USUHS. Small Navy! Anyway, Wade runs the anesthesia for the team and is also my partner in crime when it comes to the (not so) urban farming operation we're trying to get off the ground here as we long for good veggies. So without further ado... LCDR Vincent!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

John Wade Vincent

SSSS: Code name?

Morpheus

SSSS: Why that one?

He is the Roman God of Dreams

SSSS: Where were you born?

Provo, UT. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center

SSSS: Married or single?

Married

SSSS: Any kids?

Nine kids! Adam 24, Aimee 22, Aaron 20, Aubree 16, Allee 10, Abbee 8, Aiden 6, Austin 4, Avaree 2. It’s a lot of fun! Never a dull moment… and if there is, it means they’re into something!

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

Almost 25 years. I was prior enlisted as a DS – Data Systems technician.

SSSS: Any tattoos?

No

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Pizza. Hawaiian pizza.

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

I like the fresh fruit. Especially the pineapple! Closest to Hawaiian that I’ve ever had!

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

No. It’s funny… we don’t go out to restaurants very often but some of the places I’ve been with you guys opens my eyes to why people really “like to eat”!

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Avatar. In 3D The 3D blew me away! I think I saw it 3 times in 3D.

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Oh gosh…. Ummmm.. I like Jacob. Edward's a little too yuppie for me. I like the Indians but don’t care for yuppies too much.

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars

SSSS: Mac or PC?

I would say Mac but I’m too cheap to own one. You could say that I have Mac envy.

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

I don’t know either one really…

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Gemini

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Briefs

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

Back home to Hawaii

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Rock-n-roll

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Born and raised in Provo... DUH!

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

It’s either the grow-light or this small bullet blender my wife sent. I get enjoyment out of both every day!

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

I appreciate all the support. It means a lot. None of us do this job for the money but we believe in what we do and when people back home share their appreciation for what we do it means the world to me.

Wow! Great to get to know Wade a little better! But hang on folks! Dr. Vincent is only half of our anesthesia team here on FOB Lagman! Coming to us from Florida by way of San Diego is the one and only LT Gerald Gambala. Gerald, or "Gamba" as we often refer to him, is a certified registered nurse anesthetist. He provides great anesthesia for us and loves to teach our corpsmen, as he was once one himself! He is part of the local branch of the Filipino mafia and comes with navy heritage as his Dad was in the Navy too! Let's get to know the other man behind the blood brain barrier a little bit better...

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Gerald Tolo Gambala

SSSS: Code name?

Hypnos

SSSS: Why that one?

Greek god of sleep

SSSS: Where were you born?

Milton, Folrida

SSSS: Married or single?

Married

SSSS: Any kids?

Two. A 13 year old girl and a 6 year old boy

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

20 years. Started as a corpsman for 11 years, then got out, got my degree and came back.

SSSS: Any tattoos?

Two. My favorite is the dragon on my left shoulder. I got it free for helping save the guy's life who owned the tattoo parlor. He coded on the cardiac cath table.

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Anything Filipino. My favorite Filipino food is Kare-Kare (peanut butter oxtail stew)

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

Everything’s edible when the menu’s on a weekly rotation.

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

Anything with curry. Not a big fan of curry.

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

I don't really have one. I enjoy all movies.

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

I’m gonna say I’m uh… Team Jacob. Ask my wife.

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars

SSSS: Mac or PC?

I have both. Just bought the Mac and it already broke down

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Tupac

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Scorpio

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Boxer-briefs

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

Home

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

St. Pauli

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Rock –n -roll

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

I have no idea.

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

Anything from my wife. She and my son sent easter cards.

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

Hello to my family and friends. All is well. Five more months to go. Love to my wife and kids.

Indiscriminate

IED: An improvised explosive device (IED), also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery round, attached to a detonating mechanism.

The above entry is from Wikipedia. If you want to read more about them go here.

Most IED's are set off with pressure plates, trip-wires, or other passive means so they don't discriminate who they injure or kill. The evil men who place them either don't care who they kill or are too short-sighted to consider that they might kill their own people.

Today, an IED exploded outside a mosque in a nearby town. We received four casualties from the blast. All four were children under the age of 10 and only two survived. We take as much comfort as we can in the knowledge that we did everything we could to save them but that doesn't really make it any better. I can only pray that the two who survived will remember the kindness we showed them.

How we can win a war against people who will sacrifice their own children in order to win is beyond my understanding...

A new month... and more team members!

Hey all! It's April! One month closer to home! Today, I'm going to do two posts in an effort to keep up the pace in getting you all acquainted with the team. I can't say enough times, how grateful I am for what an amazing group of people we have here. Today, I'm going to feature two of our Air Force colleagues; MSgt McElvaney and 1st LT Sommerville. Even though they are chAir Force, we're lucky to have them on the team!

MSgt McElvaney (Mac for short) is our second most senior enlisted member and brings a wealth of information, experience and leadership to our group. He bleeds orange and blue and is a great all around guy to have on the team. He likes long walks on the beach and... well, never mind... here we go!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Gregory Thomas McElvaney

SSSS: Code name?

Jimmy Neutron

SSSS: Why that one?

I don’t know. The old team did it.

SSSS: Where were you born?

Kenosha, WI

SSSS: Is that a real place?

Yes. It’s a real place.

SSSS: Married or single?

Married

SSSS: Any kids?

Two boys. Tyler and Christian

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

17 years 10 months

SSSS: Any tattoos?

Gator

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Wow. Good question… Italian Beef from Lukes in Phoenix

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

Eggplant parmesan

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

Insects

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Goonies

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Neither

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star wars

SSSS: Mac or PC?

PC

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Neither

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Sagittarius

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

Boxer-briefs

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

Home

SSSS: Lowenbrau, Becks, St Pauli, or O’Douls?

Haven’t had all four but probably Becks… in a bottle… not a can… Actually St Pauli girl

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Country

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Yes (Whispered) Donnie and Marie

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

Cards/letters from wife

SSSS: Is that really your favorite thing or is it just the best one you can mention?

Really

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

Don’t have one… Oh the Air Force is real… and we do deploy!

Solid work, Mac! Now, on to 1st LT Sommerville! Ms. Sommerville is one of the amazing nurses we have here at the FST. She makes sure our blood supply is what it should be and takes incredible care of the patients we see. She NEVER disturbs the surgeons at night and ALWAYS has a smile on her face! LT Sommerville is another example of how our team consists of only the cream of the crop!

SSSS: What’s your full name?

Natasha Sommerville

SSSS: Code name?

Betty Boop

SSSS: Why that one?

Always liked the character… I like cartoons!

SSSS: Any favorites?

Family Guy and Simpsons.

SSSS: Where were you born?

Mount Holly New Jersey. I'm an Air Force kid. My Dad was in aircraft maintenance at McGuire AFB.

SSSS: Married or single?

Single. Watch out!

SSSS: How long have you been in the military?

2 years.

SSSS: Any tattoos?

One. A heart that says "Always"

SSSS: What’s food do you miss most being here on the FOB?

Taco Bell... and Airheads…

SSSS: What’s your favorite food that they serve here?

The spaghetti with meat sauce. I eat all of that

SSSS: Any food that you absolutely won’t eat?

White gravy.

SSSS: (GASP!) What about biscuits and gravy?

No! White gravy is unnatural… that’s nasty.

SSSS: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

The Lion King. Still makes me cry…

SSSS: Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Team Jacob. Cuz he’s a real wolf! I think he’s cute. He seems stronger.

SSSS: Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Trek… Next Generation… Captain Piccard

SSSS: Mac or PC?

PC

SSSS: Tupac or Biggie?

Biggie. East Coast!

SSSS: Astrological sign?

Aquarius

SSSS: Briefs or boxers?

It’s so hard to say…. Briefs?

SSSS: If you could teleport from here to anywhere in the world for 6 hours where would you go?

I would go to Mexico… Cancun!

SSSS: Are you a little bit country or a little bit rock-n-roll?

Rock and roll

SSSS: Did you get that last reference?

Yeah

SSSS: What’s your favorite thing you’ve gotten in a care package?

Lotion. Smelly lotion…. I like that….

SSSS: What message do you want to share with everyone reading?

Live life to the fullest. Live every day like your last.