Wing historian trains for historic journey to AOR

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kirsten Wicker
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  A deployment is not an uncommon event for most Airmen around McChord, but for a civilian military historian, it may take a little getting used to.

Dr. Haithe Anderson, 62nd Airlift Wing historian, ventures on her first deployment in January to Southwest Asia for six months attached to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing.

The mission of the 386th is to provide intra-theater combat airlift and precision electronic attack and to conduct airbase operations, intra-theater casualty evacuation and execute combat support in the area of responsibility.

"My job will be to capture what is going on out there," Dr. Anderson said. "Essentially the same thing I do here."

To prepare for her journey, the former Ohio State college professor donned a flak vest, boots and helmet and picked up a rifle to complete combat skills training, the same course all Airmen must complete before they deploy.

"I learned field techniques like crawling, climbing and moving as a unit. I also learned how to guard a stronghold and when circumstances call for a person to shoot, who you are allowed to shoot and when," she said.

Dr. Anderson also completed ability to survive and operate training, with full chemical gear, including learning how to wear the gas mask correctly.

"The gear is heavy and I'm a smaller person, so it was harder moving around," she said. "It was an eye-opening experience."

According to base officials, only one other civilian has deployed from McChord in the last decade. Dr. Anderson is the first to go to the area of responsibility with combat skills training and in uniform. A fuel cell civilian deployed for 90 days to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, over a year ago.

"The historian position is a former Air Force Specialty Code, reserved for second enlistments and designed for deployment," said Darrell Davis, 62nd Logistics Readiness Squadron installation deployment manager. "Recently, the Air Force transitioned the position into a civilian position, but it remains a deployable job even though it is filled by civilian personnel."

"She is going into the AOR so all rules that apply to active duty apply to her," he said. "She has to be qualified on all requirements that an active duty person would have to. She wears a uniform and knows how to carry and fire a rifle."

In addition to training requirements, preparing to deploy also entails learning as much as she can about the location and job specifics.

"I expect to work long, long days," said Dr. Anderson. "I will have three days to work with the historian who is there now, learning about the program already in place. I'll take over from him fairly quickly and stay pretty busy."

While this is her first deployment, the training and anticipation hasn't deterred her enthusiasm for the adventure ahead.

"I was excited when they told me I was up to go," she said. "I'm an adventurer at heart. I expect to learn a lot about living in the desert and I'm excited to see a real dub dub."

A dub dub is a large green lizard native to the region where Dr. Anderson will be assigned.