CAMP ADDER, Iraq - Spc. Kristi Miller, a Creekside, Pa., resident and transportation specialist in the Pennsylvania National Guard's 628th Aviation Support Battalion, spends much of her deployment transporting soldiers around Camp Adder, Iraq. But she said her job is more like being a bartender than a bus driver.
"Coming out of the 120-degree heat and boarding an air-conditioned bus can be just as refreshing as that after-work happy-hour drink," said Miller. "Many soldiers sit down and use the time to unwind."
Miller cites this as the reason that many soldiers will open up to her, but based on the comments of her riders, it is clear her kind and witty personality are factors as well.
"Who needs a counselor when you have Kristi," shouted one soldier.
Although driving the same route dozens of times every day can begin to feel redundant, Miller said her job is not necessarily boring.
"The route can get redundant, but the soldiers don't," said Miller. "Each soldier has a unique personality, a different story, and that's what makes my job great."