I learned a lot about the AF watching people pee Published May 15, 2014 By Senior Airman Nathan Maysonet 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- It begins with a benign enough question: "Are you ready?" With a nod, the two individuals enter the sterile, windowless room that will become their prison for the next few minutes. The door shuts, sealing the two inside from the world around them and an awkward moment passes as both persons prepare for what is to come. Then it begins, a trickle of fluid begins to fill a small cup held by one as the other watches uncomfortably. Welcome to your Air Force drug test. Second Lt. Kathryn West, 47th Student Squadron, has been awaiting pilot training here at Laughlin since November 2013, and she has the unenviable job of escorting female Airmen into the restroom at Laughlin's Drug Demand Reduction lab for urinalysis. Like so many fresh lieutenants arriving at Laughlin, West was eager to begin Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, but discovered she had no class date. "I was disappointed that I didn't hit the ground running," said West. "I thought at this point I'd be in class, but nope... urinalysis." Rather than letting her and the other officers with no scheduled class go to waste, each were given jobs in sections across the base to fill holes in manning. Some of these jobs included command post emergency controllers, secretaries, drivers, and yes, urinalysis observer. "I'm a urinalysis observer," explained West. "That sounds a lot better than pee watcher." The job is simple enough, explained West. A few forms are filled out; a sample cup with the individual's information is reviewed for accuracy, the person being tested holds the cup over their head as they walk into the restroom, and the observer follows suit. It's when the door closes shut behind them that things begin to get odd. "They'll walk in with me and tell me, 'at this point in my life I can pee on command,' or, 'I have two kids, this isn't a big deal,' and my favorite, 'I hope it all comes out alright.' Well, so do I," said West. To avoid the awkwardness, West makes small talk with the people she observes. Which, she admits, sounds like it would do just the opposite. "Talking the whole time often takes people's minds off of what they are doing," said West. "It does make things less awkward as hard as that is to believe. This is important since you remember everyone you test, it is a small base after all, and you will see everyone again." Talking has another bonus that West was not expecting; it taught her about the Air Force. "I learned so much about the base and all the various career fields by talking to people during testing," she said. "I've met some of the coolest people here because no one is immune. I've met commanders and have been mentored by them and I've met new Airmen and I get to talk to them and learn about the enlisted force. I don't have a senior NCO to mentor me but I found my NCO mentor in the bathroom. I learned a lot about the Air Force watching people pee." It's an odd job for sure, explains West but every job is what you make of it, and all jokes aside, West recognizes the importance of the job and takes pride in knowing that what she does has an important purpose. "I didn't always think what I was doing while waiting for pilot training mattered, but many of the people I've watched have made its importance clear to me," said West. "It's black and white, don't do drugs. The drug test I help perform tests integrity. Sure it's a bother if you get tagged a lot for testing but it's about the bigger picture of protecting the Air Force." All in all, being an urinalysis observer is a truly unique experience. "It's a good job if you want to learn a thing or two about the Air Force and if you want some entertainment," said West. "When people ask me, 'What do you do in the Air Force?' I tell them, 'I'm in pilot training, sort of, but mostly I just watch people pee into a cup.'"