Forward-deployed civilians play vital role in terror war

  • Published
  • By Donna Miles
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  The death of a Department of the Air Force civilian in Iraq on Aug. 8 brings attention to some of the unsung heroes of the war effort: Thousands of Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy civilian employees who have voluntarily put themselves in harm's way to support the war on terrorism.

Special Agent Rick Ulbright, a 49-year-old polygraph examiner with the 33rd Field Investigative Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., died at Kirkuk Air Base, Iraq, from wounds received during a mortar attack.

Agent Ulbright had been in Iraq for more than two months, providing polygraph support for counterintelligence and counterterrorism efforts, said Bryan Horaist, chief of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations' regional office at Randolph AFB, Texas. He was scheduled to return home in September.

Like the thousands of other Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps civilian employees forward-deployed in Southwest Asia, Agent Ulbright "was an integral part of the effort," said Mr. Horaist, a personal friend who attended Agent Ulbright's memorial service Aug. 13 in the Washington area. "He wanted to be there," Mr. Horaist said.

Agent Ulbright was among about 1,400 Department of Defense civilians who have volunteered for duty in Iraq, said Army Lt. Col. David Farlow, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command in Baghdad. Most wear desert camouflage uniforms, just like their military counterparts, with "DOD Civilian" tags on their chests, alongside their names.

The Air Force reports 35 employees in its work force forward deployed to the CENTCOM area, said Jennifer Stephens, an Air Force spokeswoman. Besides criminal investigation support, they are providing equipment, air traffic control, information technology, finance and intelligence support.

Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Ogden, who supervises 12 Army Corps of Engineers civilians in Iraq, said he is "very impressed" by the commitment he has witnessed among the volunteers, all serving 120-day deployments.

"They want to be here, and they want to make a contribution," said Colonel Ogden, who heads the Restore Iraqi Electricity Directorate. "They've jumped right in, hit the ground running and shown no hesitation about going outside the international zone. They know they have a job to do, and they go out there and do it."

Robert Dennis, a Corps of Engineer employee from Clarkesville, Va., who has been in Iraq since May, said he volunteered for the duty so he could play a critical role in the war on terrorism.

"When (the terrorists) attacked New York, they attacked all of us," he said. "For me, I knew it was time to come forward and do what I could."

Sharon Walker, an Army civilian for the Military District of Washington serving a six-month tour at the coalition press information center in Baghdad, said the events of Sept. 11, 2001, "definitely had an effect on me and my decision to volunteer in Iraq." She said thinking about the terror and pain caused by the terrorist attacks made her more resolved than ever to do whatever she could to support the troops.

"This volunteer opportunity came up, and it was the natural next step for me," she said.

Beth Hilliard, a civilian employee from the Corps of Engineers' Savannah district office, said she volunteered to serve four months in Iraq simply because "it was the right thing to do, something that was going to help the Iraqi people."

Ms. Hilliard shrugged off the dangers involved in the deployment.

"Different incidents go on here, but the mission takes priority," she said.

Ms. Walker said the preparation she received before deploying, both at Fort Myer, Va., and Fort Bliss, Texas, has proved invaluable in Iraq, particularly training in nuclear-biological and chemical protection, common skills and day-to-day soldier skills, such as how to pack a rucksack.

The duty has some rough aspects that many of her civilian counterparts never encounter, Ms. Walker said. She used the example of the time her plane made a "battle landing" into Baghdad International Airport.

"I get some adrenaline going sometimes when mortars hit near us, but that helps me get up off my chair," she said. "Talking to people helps me cope. Our interaction always improves my understanding and attitude."

But after several weeks in Iraq, Ms. Walker said she believes she is making a meaningful contribution to the war on terrorism.

"I'm supposed to be here doing this work," she said.

With "just 16 days and a wakeup call" left on his 120-day deployment, Mr. Dennis said he has found tremendous satisfaction in the work he and his fellow Corps of Engineers co-workers are doing, restoring electricity to Iraq.

"We're turning the lights back on and making a huge difference in people's lives," he said.

"We're doing a lot of good work," Ms. Hilliard said. "We're really putting megawatts on the (power) grid and helping these folks.

"The job is very challenging, and the work is fast-paced, but it's very rewarding," she said. "Overall, I'm glad I volunteered. And the longer I'm here, the more I feel that way."