AFRL civilian leaves comfort for combat zone

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Recently, a contracting specialist with the Air Force Research Lab returned from a six-month deployment to a strange and different world ... Afghanistan.

"I like to say I was a fish out of water, but even the fish is still on planet Earth," explained Leah Ransom of her recent tour working with the Kabul Regional Contracting Center. "I didn't feel like I was on planet Earth."

Mrs. Ransom went from research development contracting to Afghan mission support, which was putting together contracts for buildings, roads and supplies for the country of Afghanistan and its military. There were quite a few differences.

"My husband called it 'combat contracting' - that's exactly what it was," joked the Crestview native and former Air Force staff sergeant. "It was like working in contracting on the last two days of the fiscal year times 10, on steroids. The workload never stops."

Mrs. Ransom decided in 2009 to volunteer after speaking with other contracting specialists and officers about their deployment experience, some from the same office she'd eventually work in. She said the decision was a long time coming, dating back to 2003 when the 48-year-old's parents were contracting specialists in Kuwait.

"There was no snap decision," said Mrs. Ransom, who spent 14 years as a support contractor before transitioning to civil service in 2005. "I wanted to be ready and to be an effective team member, so I waited until I had more experience."

After the decision was made, the preparation began. Mrs. Ransom had to get uniforms, immunizations, attend combat skills training and qualify on the M-9 and M-16.

"I didn't have anything that closely resembled a grouping," she said about firing at paper targets. "The good news is, I was bound to hit the target somewhere and last I heard, shooting someone was not an approved negotiation technique."

During combat training, she was one of only three civilians out of 130 people attending. Brandishing the uniform again after 20 years, she recalled having flash backs to basic training.

Once she was "battle-ready" she arrived to Camp Eggers and moved into open bay transient quarters - a 20 by 40 conex building with nine bunk beds. Eventually it housed 18 women and luggage. Mrs. Ransom spent her first six weeks in that conex. "Rough and intense" was how she described it.

While there, she managed blanket purchase agreements and processed payments of more than $20 million a week for fuel, firewood and water for Afghan units.

"I really wanted to support the troops," she said. "I wanted to have an impact on what was going on and I feel like I did."

She also had some advice to any civilian thinking about or planning to deploy.

"Make sure you're physically capable to deploy," she stressed. "Being down range is physically challenging - the tempo, the stress, the emotions, it all takes a toll."

She also stressed job knowledge and analyzing the reasons to go.

"If money is your only motivation, you'll be disappointed," said Mrs. Ransom.

She understood that not everyone is cut out to deploy, but that everyone can "do their bit" to support those who go down range. She recommended finding out who's deployed in the work area and make sure they're taken care of.

"I can tell you from personal experience," she said, her voicing wavering as she paused to gain her composure. "Knowing your family is okay and looked after... does more to support the people down range than just about anything."

For any civilian interested in deploying, the process starts at this website.