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59th Medical Wing historian makes history

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kimberly Yearyean-Siers
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 59th Medical Wing historian, Mrs. Judith Taylor, recently returned from a four-month deployment as wing historian for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Although deployments to war zones are often routine for military members, they are not as common for Department of Defense civilian employees.

"I was excited when I found out I was getting this opportunity," said Mrs. Taylor. "As a historian, I have spent a great deal of time studying the wars in which our nation has fought, and I was grateful for the chance to be part of this."

Historically, DOD civilians have played an important role in U.S. military operations, with more than 16,000 having served in U.S. Central Command's area of operations since 2001. Mrs. Taylor is one of two civilians who have deployed from the 59th MDW.

"Deploying civilians is still an anomaly," said Mrs. Taylor. "During out- and in-processing I got a lot of confused looks and comments like 'You're a what?' and 'We've never had a civilian do this before.' The comment, 'You sure you are supposed to be here?' was my personal favorite."

Mrs. Taylor went through the same training as active duty members to prepare for her trip. This included qualifying on both the M-16 rifle and the M-9 handgun. She also attended medical readiness training, learning self defense and tactical movement.

"Most people don't realize the amount of training civilians go through before a deployment," said Mrs. Taylor. "Unlike military members, who do the training frequently, civilians only do this training if they deploy and, with no previous knowledge to build on, it was at times very hard."

While deployed to Iraq, she lived and worked just like her military counterparts, putting in long hours, staying in an Air Force housing unit designed for two people, and eating in the dining facility.

"There was never a distinction of being a civilian among military, except for my insignia and uniform tag that said 'DOD Civilian.' From the time I put on the uniform, and even when the policy changed to honor the host country's law that only military wear uniforms, I always felt like part of the team," said Mrs. Taylor.

The living quarters did have minor inconveniences with the shower and restrooms about a two-minute walk, but it could have been much worse. The previous historians had equipped the room with a refrigerator, vacuum, iron and ironing board, a nice rug and television set.

"I always felt safe, both from mortars and people up to no-good. I could and did walk around anytime of the day or night without problems," said Mrs. Taylor. "I think the Air Force has done a great job making sure their people have a safe place to live and work there."

From the early days of the deployment, learning about the new environment of working for an operational wing to feeling like part of the team, her time deployed is something Mrs. Taylor won't ever forget.

"It was an experience I never expected. I now have a broader understanding of the Air Force mission," said Mrs. Taylor "I will miss the friends I made. One thing I will always remember is how quickly the young people I worked with went from being stereotypical kids, goofing around, to caring, confident professionals who performed well beyond the maturity level you would expect from people their age."