This is where we will learn about each other. Please send us your favorite pictures and/or a brief bio of your military service and where you are now in your life journey with OSU. To start off our introductions to our group members, we are posing some pictures from the 2021 Veteran’s Day slideshow. More to come as we are just starting to get to know everyone! Email us with your pictures and stories and we will post them here.
Jowanda recently was deployed to South Korea (April 2022), below is her story of her time there:
“South Korea is gradually, and quietly, playing a larger role in world security. Despite strong US support, South Korea’s rise as a military power is complicated by domestic politics, and by a belligerent North Korea. To avoid provoking foreign and domestic opposition, Seoul has cleverly disguised its newest overseas military operation as a strictly peaceful affair. Knowing this history, on a very early morning in April I began my adventure to Osan Air Base in South Korea. My supplies were simple to assemble. My packing list included a sleeping bag and my uniform. I packed the items that were essential to creating a “home.” I knew the weather would be hot and cold with drastic changes in temperature, However, I wasn’t expecting it to be as schizophrenic as it was. It changed drastically in a really short period of time. I’ve deployed several times to a variety of countries, so it’s very familiar to me, Picture a family camping trip with 1,200 people who are all working together in a foreign place. They might not speak the same language, the environment seems extreme and we’re forced to keep strange hours. It’s dirty and uncomfortable, but the expeditionary nature of it is really essential. However, your wingmen and tent mates will be your chosen family and they will have your back always. In a nutshell, this deployment was short yet very eventful. My advice to anyone who is going out the door to his/ her next adventure is to Take a deep breath, Take pride in knowing that not many Americans have this unique experience. Try the culture’s foods (they may surprise you), attempt to learn some Korean, and never stop exploring this part of the world. Besides, if you stay cooped up in your tent and don’t make any effort, you will definitely be miserable. It’s all what you make of it.”
