This month, reservists attached to the 36th Aerial Port Squadron, which is part of the 446th Airlift Wing on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, McChord Field, will deploy to Southwest Asia in order to assist with the drawdown and subsequent redeployments out of Afghanistan. They are expected to be there for six months, though the mission could be extended.

The squadron, as an aerial port, serves as the point of embarkation and debarkation at any location to which it deploys and the airmen will be responsible for the movement of passengers and cargo.

For two of those airmen this will be their first deployment, and, not only are they happy about it, they volunteered to go.

>>> An air transportation specialist from the 446th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, prepares to load cargo onto an aircraft with a 60K Tunner New Generation Service Loader while on the readiness assessment team in Norfolk, Va.  Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Mary Hall

In fact, all of the 446th Airlift Wing's deployments are done on a volunteer basis. Each unit within the command is tasked to fill a certain number of slots and when that unit's rotation comes up, they let their airmen know and take names of the volunteers; however, if the number of volunteers doesn't exceed the total slots, command will mobilize additional airmen to make up the difference. But that rarely happens in the 446th AW.

"I want to see the world and I've only gotten to see a little bit of it so far," explained Senior Airmen Robert Lyons in regard to why he volunteered to deploy. "It will be nerve-wracking to be away from home for that long, but I am confident in the work and I'm not nervous."

Lyons, 24, joined the Air Force following high school, which was always his plan.

"I always knew I was going to join the military and my dad was in the Army. I have a sense of pride in my country and I wanted to serve...and have an adventure," he said.

>>> U.S Air Force Reserve Tech. Sgt. Wayne Duckworth, 446th Airlift Wing, JBLM, secures with chains an 11-meter rigid-hulled inflatable boat from U.S. Navy Special Boat Team 12 to transport in a C-17 Globemaster III at North Island Naval Air Station, Calif., in support of Patriot Hook. Photo credit: Tech. Sgt. Christine Joines

Staff Sgt. Brooke Paull's story and passion are similar, although she waited longer to get into uniform.

"I absolutely love being in the Air Force and I've been waiting for the deployment since I joined so that I could go and help and show my children that what I am doing is important," said Paull, 34, who went for her dream four years ago when she enlisted. "I joke that my husband is living vicariously through me. He is 100 percent supportive and so are our two children."

The two eager reservists work together in the ramp section of the 36th APS, loading and unloading cargo from the planes. In addition to performing the same jobs out on the flightline, both Paull and Lyons are Utah residents and their lengthy commutes alone to McChord Field for drills show a certain level of dedication...especially recently when they have been staying at JBLM for weeks at a time to train and prepare for the upcoming deployment.

"This is a completely different for me and I have met so many great people ... the camaraderie is unlike anything else," said Paull, who has worked as an accountant in her civilian career. "I don't know what I would do without it."

"From my experience, as my first enlistment, everybody here wants to be here. They are all very knowledgeable and they make sure that you succeed here, in both your military and civilian careers," agreed Lyons.

>>> U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joshua Warbiany (left) and Staff Sgt. Steve Szatkowski, both with the 446th AW, chain a trailer to the floor of a C-17 Globemaster at North Island Naval Air Station, Calif., in support of Patriot Hook. Photo credit: Senior Airman Raymond Estes

That level of knowledge and mentoring is probably why the two are so confident before this initial deployment has even begun.

"Lyons and I are go-getters and we love our jobs. We are ready to go. We're not worried," Paull concluded. "We're excited."