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 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.
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 TDY experience. "I'm not going to lie, I was
nervous," said 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."
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 TDY.
"Honestly within the first
hour of being here and getting to work I started to feel
comfortable," said Loy. "We started laying block 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 open minded," said Loy. "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."
The next thing that will help relieve
a lot of those nervous feelings is to not be afraid of acceptance.
"I was raised in a quiet environment and I really kept to
myself," said Loy, "Even sitting here answering these questions in
an interview would have scared me to death. But when I just put
myself out there. I started getting invited to go places and people
asked me to hang out and it immediately started to bring me out of
my shell. I started to feel like I was part of the team."
The
last thing Airmen can do to help prevent stress on their first TDY
is to prepare all their gear ahead of time and make sure they have
all the things they might need for their trip.
"We're getting
ready to get on the plane and someone says to me 'Hey did you bring
your fleece jacket?... cause the KC-135's get pretty cold at high
altitudes even though it might be 90 degrees on the ground. All I
can think of is I wish I would have known that", said Airman 1st
Class Darby Arnold, a broadcast journalist with the 134th Public
Affairs office. This deployment was Airman First Class Arnold's
first TDY. "Then we get there and I realize there is rain forecasted
for three or four days of the trip and I didn't know to bring my
Gore-Tex jacket, and also the temperatures are sometimes a lot
colder up north than what I'm used to in Tennessee. Sure enough, all
I brought were summer clothes. So, being better prepared before I
came, checking the weather ahead of time, and packing some clothes
just in case the weather changes would have relieved some of the
stress and worry I felt on my first trip."
An Airman's first
deployment should be an enjoyable experience that helps them to grow
and learn the deployment process. Applying these simple tips could
assist in making that happen.
"This trip has opened my eyes,"
said Loy. "After being here for three days I'm already ready for
another deployment! Coming on this trip has grown me not only as an
Airman but as a person and I'm grateful for that. It has given me a
whole new confidence in myself and in my job."
By U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ben Mellon
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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