From the Frontlines: Tech. Sgt. Horace Dozier

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody H. Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  With the efforts in Southwest Asia ongoing, demand for supply and transport areas are growing. With this growth comes a need for support, and what better support than the rejuvenation of an entire base?

Tech. Sgt. Horace Dozier, 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron compliance and analysis technician here, deployed from this Air Force Global Strike Command base from June to November in support of the growing operations in Southwest Asia.

He said he deployed to a location much like a bare-base; it hadn't been occupied for years. The base was rejuvenated to be a replacement location in case other bases in Southwest Asia had to relocate.

Sergeant Dozier worked in the supply warehouse as the NCO in charge of receiving and the NCOIC of individual equipment. He said when he got there, his warehouse was empty.

"Our job was to prepare the base for the mission, whatever that happened to be," he said. "The [base's] mission wasn't set in stone. It was undefined for the first couple months."

He worked with a team of 20 Airmen in stocking the warehouse with supplies and courtesy storage.

"We built the base from the ground up," Sergeant Dozier said. "We had to stand up everything, including the set up of tents. We worked with leadership and ordered anything they needed to stand up the base."

Sergeant Dozier received a defined-mission tasking nearly three months into his deployment.

"We started supporting the C-17s and their mission to deliver supplies down-range to Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.

Among the supplies and equipment Sergeant Dozier received were mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs) and mine-resistant ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles (MATVs). He said he was taught how to drive MRAPs and MATVs, so he could help load the vehicles for the Army.

"I was able to drive the MRAP and MATV, and see exactly how they work, which was awesome," he said.

He said the first batch of vehicles alone saved three Soldiers lives and showed him exactly how his work was affecting the mission and how important it was.

Sergeant Dozier said he spent a majority of his time unloading supply trucks and maintaining the supply warehouse, and by the time he departed, he had completely filled the warehouse with aircraft parts.

Unloading trucks and stocking the warehouse consumed most of his deployment, but with his free time, Sergeant Dozier helped Airmen deployed alongside him.

"Since it was a fresh start at the base, most people were living in tents and storing their belongings in boxes, so I started building shelves, coat racks and other furniture," he said. "It kept me busy and helped out the people around me."

Although it was his longest deployment, it didn't seem that long, said Sergeant Dozier.

"The six-month deployment was the longest I've been away from my family, which was tough, but I kept myself busy and the time flew by," he said. "It was definitely a unique experience."