By Pfc. Jennifer L. Lowes

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq — Spc. Yolanda Eddings, a human resources specialist with the 1st Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, out of Fort Riley Kan., is currently serving her first tour of duty at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq. Eddings arrived with the 1st Eng. Bn. on Nov. 11, 2009.

"I'm responsible to handle over 500 soldiers' paperwork, including any awards they receive, promotions and other miscellaneous documents," said Eddings. Eddings believes her job is important because it enables Soldiers to transition smoothly from home, to oversees and back home again.

"Soldiers always come to me for help, its nice knowing that I'm needed and that people feel they can count on me to get the important stuff done," said Eddings.

Eddings, who had originally hoped to join the Army in the Military Band, said she would like to change her military occupation specialty once returning home to play the clarinet.

"It's something that I always wanted to do, but it just never worked out," she said.

Eddings is a wife and mother of three and said she keeps in close contact with her family through Skype and e-mail.

"My family enjoys me being in the Army, even though we are so far away from each other it doesn't really seem like it with all the new technology of web cam and the internet. It is hard being away from my family though, while at the same time trying to balance school and work," she said.

Eddings is working toward her Associates of Arts degree by taking two classes and hopes to finish by the time she returns home this fall.

"I joined the military for a lot of different reasons, including my education. I also did this to take care of my family," said Eddings.

Once she returns home, Eddings said she is going to spend some much needed quality time with her husband and children and prepare for wherever the Army will take her next.

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