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In military communities, everyone must make sacrifices both big and small. Every experience is unique and rewarding in a different way.
Dr. Gary Boue, a Ramstein High School social science teacher, decided to invest his skills and talent in the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce in Afghanistan for an entire year. There, he has changed the lives of many motivated and hard-working Afghan soldiers and police officers.
In the following interview, he explains the purpose of his deployment and the experiences he has had.
What does your job in Afghanistan entail?
I work for the Defense Language Institute and teach English to the Afghan police and military. From our home base at North Kabul Afghanistan International Airport, we drive to school in an up-armored vehicle wearing our bulletproof vests and helmets. We are required to wear an M9 pistol as a part of our uniform.
Our school is located on a forward operating base, which is controlled by the Afghans. We work well with our Afghan partners, but we are always aware of the possibility of green on blue attacks. As far as classroom activity, these men are extremely motivated because if they reach a certain proficiency level, they get to go to the Defense Language Institute either in San Antonio, Kuwait, Dubai or other English training centers for follow-up training.
I have the opportunity to change the lives of these people and they really appreciate our being here.
What made you pursue this career move?
I am certified in five languages, and I thought if anyone could teach English to Afghans, I could. It was my turn to step up to the plate and give back to the military community that has employed me for the last 23 years. As a young man, I missed Vietnam, where many of my good friends served and died. I felt an obligation to them.
What was the training like for the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce? How long did it take?
The training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., was intense and lasted from June 18 to July 20, 2012. Essentially, I feel like I joined the Army during this time.
Highlights included:
• Rolling in an Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle
• Weapons training and qualifying with a M9 pistol
• Being a part of convoys
• Living in a mock Afghanistan military village
• Doing various online situational trainings
• Dari language lessons
• Lectures from experts on tribal and military situations in Afghanistan
• Flying in a Black Hawk helicopter with open doors
• Training with former Navy Seals, one of whom was Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s former body guard.
After the military training we flew to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Here, we participated in a grueling and intensive English second language program teaching English to foreign military students.
After San Antonio, we went back to Camp Atterbury to complete our medical and pre-deployment requirements. At this time, we were issued three large duffle bags filled with military gear that included chemical warfare gear and a mask. Our last issue was our M9 pistol and cleaning kit.
What materials are you provided with to teach your students?
We have a new school that just opened in April 2012. We have whiteboards, markers and several erasers. No Internet, no copy machine. It is like teaching in the 1960s. I am working on procuring those things I lack here at my own expense.
How does the teaching environment differ from what you are used to at Ramstein High School? Does it appeal to you more or less?
I come to Ramstein armed only with my attache case and a pen; here, I wear full armor. I like the intensity of teaching English six hours a day and seeing improvement daily. The older students know how important education is and they strive to succeed. They also love to be teased and make jokes with their new language skills.
There are no distractions at our school, just uninterrupted English classes. It is amazing how much can be accomplished in this atmosphere. Ramstein is like teaching at an upscale private school. We have everything we need to be successful.
I love my students in both Ramstein and at the Intensive English Language Training Center. I find it interesting that these people, a world away, respond to me much the same as my American students. We laugh, joke and work extremely hard all day. I like this school because it is a new experience, but my heart is with you at Ramstein.
What new experiences have you had? How are the living conditions?
Some of the new experiences I could have lived without in my life. Our up-armored vehicle has a bullet hole in the driver’s side window. I am living in a container shared with an Army colonel. My living space is about 8-by-5 feet. My ablution, better known as the bathroom, is down the hall. I share this with no fewer than 50 men from Canada, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
We have been evacuated at work and in our dorms at KAIA for mortar and rocket attacks. My housing is located just in front of the runway with planes and helicopters taking off all hours of the day and night. All this being said, it has been interesting, and I have enjoyed the new adventures.
If you were offered the chance to do it again, would you take it?
Up to this point, it has been a rewarding experience both personally and professionally. I enjoy the multinational environment, the opportunity to speak multiple languages daily, the camaraderie with colleagues, playing pingpong, pool and working out at a substandard gym.
As a teacher, I heard “family support” mentioned many times in many contexts, but it really didn’t register with me. Being deployed now, I understand the importance of this term. A supportive family network is why I would say “yes” to doing this again.
Just like the military members who do multiple deployments, it’s only because of the love and support of their families that they are able to endure the hardships while fighting for all of us. It’s a job they proudly accept, but they also know they have families back home and that’s motivation to push through the hard times.
