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Airman finds peace in desert playing hockey

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott Moorman
  • U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  In the rolling sage brush-covered hills,  reminiscent of west Texas, the temperature still hovers above 100 as the sun sets in this dusty, deployed military location.

Even after a 12-hour shift, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Wayland J. Baker of the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron is ready to hit the "ice."

Every day, the 31-year-old vehicle operator swaps his desert camouflage uniform for the Air Force blue shorts and gray T-shirt. He trades the tan-suede boots for a pair of rollerblades and heads to his "rink."

The over-sized gloves and slant-footed stick are as alien to the region as the local customs of the region are to him. However, his time spent under an Arabian sky is not unfamiliar. Sergeant Baker has deployed to the Middle East six times in his 12-year military career.

The active duty Air National Guardsman is deployed from the 116th Logistics Readiness Squadron, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., where he serves as NCO in charge of vehicle operations.

During the day, the father of six transports aircrew members across hot tarmacs and taxiways or delivers cargo down routes where flocks of sheep graze in the medians and camel herds wander in the distance. He takes his chances pushing loaded semis down dangerous roads to forward operating bases sprinkled around the rugged terrain to support operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

"Local drivers weave through traffic at excessive speeds with no regard to other motorist, and others limp down the middle of the road at extremely slow speeds," he said. "I have sat at intersections and watched impatient drivers drive up the sidewalk to get to the front of the line or to get around a red light."

But when the sun goes down, Sergeant Baker transforms a metal-roofed, beige, pre-fabricated steel pavilion into a hockey rink. There's no need for a Zamboni on this concrete. Here, he can escape the reality of his living conditions at "The Rock," a name given to the base during its construction.

"I get lost in the game; it's my relief," said the die-hard Buffalo Sabres National Hockey League fan. "When I am finished skating in the evening, I am relaxed and ready to start over the next day."

Tonight, the Corinth, N.Y., native faces off against himself. The former goaltender skates endless circles across the gray surface, pushing the puck in a one-man power play. He envisions a defenseman and a goalie as he glides across the imaginary ice trying to improve his stick handling and speed. A slap shot into a non-existent goalpost allows the dead puck to sail off the rink and skip across the gravel encompassing the pavilion. The athletic-framed Sergeant Baker retrieves the black disk and the ritual begins again.

"I play hockey wherever I go," he said. "So, you could say it's a piece of home while away from home."

He started playing hockey while deployed to Saudi Arabia where a couple of co-workers talked him into giving the winter sport a try.

"It was rough at the start," he said. "I didn't know how to skate or much of anything else relating to hockey."

Sergeant Baker said he plays for fun mostly; but the highlight of his hockey career was protecting the net for a league team while stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J.

"That was the last time I played goalie," he said. "We ended up winning the championship that year."

Eight years later, Sergeant Baker is still practicing, still lugging his gear to the other side of the world; far away from the inline rink near his home where he enjoys playing hockey with his family.

There are no cheering fans here. No Saturday league games; not even a net for a goalie to protect. Here, there is one man, a pair of rollerblades, a hockey stick and a puck. He is home for now.

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