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Deploying is never easy. You are away from friends and family. The days are long, and you start referring to every day as Tuesday. Most deployments are in austere environments that are always under the threat of attack. However, if you can look past all this and see the benefits like one DFAS employee did, then deploying may be for you.
Lucas Pliakis, Columbus native, joined the civil service on Jan. 31, 2010, and on Feb. 1, 2010, threw in his name for an Expeditionary Support Organization deployment. Lucas kept applying for deployment opportunities in his first two years of civil service. His search wasn't just limited to DFAS though.
"I found the CENTCOM website and would throw my resume to them every 6, 9, 12 months," he added. He continued to do this until May 2017 when he received a notification to fill out an SF-86 from human resources for a possible deployment.
Lucas wasn't an adrenaline junky seeking his next fix. His motivations were more simplistic than that.
He had never served in the military but felt he needed to give something back to his country. "This means a lot to me, even if I'm a very small cog in the machine." Lucas also wanted something different.
"I wanted a change in life, and while drastic, this would be a change." It's a change that stirred some emotions in his family.
His mother was supportive of his decision, but the rest of his family needed time to understand the complexity of his decision. His biggest resistance came from his father, who banned him from deploying because of his convictions.
"This deployment hit him very hard," he explained. His father, drafted during the Vietnam War, was sprayed with Agent Orange during his tour of combat. "(He) spent six days in a bathtub full of ice with a fever of 100 degrees," he added, "shockingly he didn't die!"
Lucas hadn't told anyone that he was deploying to Afghanistan and would refer to the deployment as an overseas assignment. This went on until he was about 60 days away from deploying. Up until this time, his friends were supportive of his decision; then the barrage of questions started. They would ask him why he wanted to leave a good job, a safe apartment, and family for a war-torn country.
"They supported me, but very few of them understood why I would want to do this," he said. They would bring up the latest news in that region.
"My family and friends would talk to me about news headlines they had seen, it seemed like there was a bombing every week," he stated, "I still remember a big one happening the end of January 2018 and one of my good friends asking if I still wanted to go after seeing that." He simply answered, "Yes."
He understood they were concerned about his safety and to ease their minds; he told them he would be back in no time because he was deploying as a civilian and not military. That was 17 months ago.
Lucas is currently deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan. He arrived in March 2018 as a financial management analyst but assumed the role of budget advisor for Resource Management when he got there. He has since switched to his current role as a senior finance advisor for the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan.
DFAS Supports the Warfighter
"I hear that phrase at every all hands, read in countless emails, and it's true," he stated, "As employees of DFAS, that is our end game, to support the warfighter (through accurate pay both during service and retirement)." He pointed out having that experience in finance; many DFAS employees bring a variety of skill sets to the table that benefits the mission here.
On most days, Lucas is in the gym between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m., which consists of either lifting, CrossFit, or a spin class. "Most of my coworkers do the same, some getting up earlier to have more workout time," he stated.
After working out, Lucas and his coworkers meet up to grab breakfast at the dining facility. He prefers to grab a to-go box so he can get to work and check emails while eating breakfast and drinking his morning coffee.
His mornings usually involve meetings, facilitating visitors to base from the Ministry of Finance, other agencies, or diplomats from the embassies. Then it's time for a short lunch. "On the busy days it's not uncommon to look at the clock and it goes from 1030 to 1530 (10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) in a blink of an eye."
If meetings are happening on base, Lucas is usually there taking notes and contributing as much as he can. Meetings happen some days at the embassies or the Ministry of Finance. According to him trips to the Ministry requires a lot of preparation because of it's location in the country.
Mail call is around 2 p.m., a time Lucas looks forward to. "The first year our front office picked up our mail, so it was always nice to check email around 1500-1530 (3:00-3:30 p.m.) and see if we had any mail for the day," he also noted, "Even if it's myself buying something from Amazon or Target, it's nice to get a package."
Lucas explained that it typically takes 10-14 days for a package to arrive from the states noting that it feels like the '90s and early 2000s when ordering things. Lucas is now one of four people tasked with picking up the mail for his office, which he has used to meet new people who wouldn't normally interact with on base. "It might sound dorky, but it's a break to talk to people and see people get excited about their packages."
Lucas's time in country though hasn't been all work, and in fact, he has found several ways to break up the monotony of being over there.
Lucas and his colleagues get together after work several nights throughout the week. There is a steak night they like to get together for. He jokingly noted, "While our DFAC has something resembling a steak, the US Embassy has a much better spread of food."
They also play cards as a team with UNO being the game of choice. "People are cutthroat about winning," he jokingly stated.
He stated that the long hours aren't great, but having an office with a good bunch of people really helps. "We usually eat dinner as a group most nights, and when holidays come around, that's been a huge plus."
Any new job or deployment comes with pros and cons. At the top of Lucas's pro list is the service to the country.
"You're serving your country; you'll make a difference. No matter how small of a part you may play."
Lucas feels the collaboration with American and coalition militaries, civilians, civilians, and other agencies is a benefit. He reluctantly mentioned the pay as another pro of deployment.
"You'll make between two to three times your normal salary," he said, "some people look at this and think 'it's so much money.'" However, this reminds him of what he heard during the first week in the country.
A coworker told him that "yes it is a fair amount of money," but it comes with an inherent risk. This led Lucas to focus on the cons of deployment.
"You're in a warzone, there is that slight chance something could happen," he pointed out. Another downside, in his mind, to deployment is the living conditions.
Lucas states most rooms are approximately 144 square feet in size and houses one to two occupants. "Think of a college dorm room," he stated. On top of this, having to walk outside to use the restroom and showering facilities is not pleasant, especially if there are adverse weather conditions.
Rounding out his list of cons, even though he doesn't consider it a con per se, is traveling outside the wire. "While this didn't bother me, and is a rarity for DFAS positions, it may deter some people."
Overall, he thinks it's a worthwhile experience. "It's an adventure, and while there are times, you may be stressed, it's a great experience."
According to him, DFAS employees should consider some things before applying for deployments. "Can you acclimate to this environment," he stated along with the only constant is change. "If you can adapt to changes quickly and let things slide off you pretty easily, you'll do fine."
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2019 14:21 |
| Story ID: | 357957 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A small cog in the machine makes a difference, by Lewis Hilburn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
