Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas -- After separating from the U.S. Army in 2012 and having served nine years, Christopher Koons, 47th Flying Training Wing chief of personnel security, thought his days of deploying were over.
But in May 2015, he was proved wrong as he found himself on the way to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, for a six-month deployment.
Koons was contacted directly by the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce manager about the deployment roughly 45 days beforehand.
“Being unexpectedly selected for this deployment showed me that I still have a great impact on the mission,” said Koons.
Koon’s specific impact on the mission was to “shrink the footprint of Bagram,” as a security specialist with the Bagram Support Group.
Upon arrival, Koons’ large-scale mission contained many smaller aspects such as supporting NATO, orchestrating security clearances, enhancing force protection, developing security analysis and compiling the installations threat assessment.
“Compared to my two deployments with the Army, I was given far more tasks,” said Koons. “There was a lot to get done, making the ability to multitask very important.”
This description of “far more tasks” and “multitasking [being] very important” equated to 81-hour work weeks.
“I typically worked from 8 a.m.to 8 p.m. seven days a week,” Koons explained. “I’d go to the gym at 4:30 a.m., shower, eat and go to work. That was my typical routine.”
Another element of that routine involved filling six sandbags a day.
“The base was lacking sandbags in multiple areas around the base,” said Koons. ”So in order to catch up and meet the standards, we (those stationed at Bagram) filled up two sandbags before every meal.”
When it came to living conditions, Koons said they were the same basic set-up as when he deployed with the Army: two-and- three person rooms surrounded by plywood, containing only the basic essentials.
During Koons’ six months in Bagram, he interacted with the Czech Republic military, the Romanian Armed Forces, NATO and the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps.
“It was a very diverse environment, but it allowed me to see first-hand how it all came together,” Koons explained. “And in turn, I was able to work with some amazing groups of people.”
While surrounded by multiple services, thousands of miles away from home, the odds of running into someone Koons knew while in the Army were not in his favor. But coincidentally, he bumped into three people he had served with. One of which Koons had deployed with before.
“It showed me how small the military actually is,” said Koons. “You never know who you’re going to run into.”
Koons returned to Laughlin on Oct. 2015 with a greater understanding about how NATO and various militaries come together, a better grasp on how civilian deployments work and what to expect if he was ever tasked again.
“This deployment made me feel more connected again. I was wearing the uniform just like everyone else,” he said. “It was a lot of work, long weeks and a lot of hours, but it was a great experience, and it’s something I’d recommend for all civilians to look into, especially those who are prior military.”