• Arts & Entertainment
• Issue 2

Lara Dean returned to her home in Oklahoma (US) last week after her first 15 days being deployed as a part of the US National Guard (a subdivision of the Army). She will graduate this summer from university and plans to attend medical school next year.

How long was your trip, and where did you go?

The trip was fifteen days and we bounced around a lot. The first stop was only for a day in Lajes Air Base in the Azores Islands of Portugal. Then we were in Crete for a day and a half, then Azerbaijan for a week, back to Crete for 17 hours, and finally England and then Newfoundland for 17 hours each.

What was the point of your trip?

It was supposed to be a humanitarian mission. Somehow our going to Azerbaijan was supposed to help their efforts of joining the United Nations, but I am still trying to figure out how them simply seeing US troops would aid that effort.

What did you do on your mission?

We saw approximately 900 IDPs [internally displaced persons] in only three days in Azerbaijan. I am a medic and so I was treating headaches, stomach aches, diabetes and high-blood pressure, but other people were doing optometry, dental work and treating worms.

Did you experience any anti-Americanism?

In Crete it was obvious that not everyone liked us being there. There was a lot of graffiti against the US, and some of our group were called "stupid Americans" when they went out at night.

Were there any positive reactions to your presence?

The Azeris welcomed us with open arms. We never felt any hostility towards us.  On the night we arrived we had three trucks that needed to be unloaded, and the Azeri cadets wouldn't let me any other women carry anything.  Azeri men respect women very much and we all found it very refreshing because we are not used to being treated with such high regard in the States.

What was the hardest part of your trip?

The saddest thing I saw was the condition of the school and community we were in for the humanitarian mission. There isn't really a trash system in Azerbaijan so there is garbage and filth everywhere. The school only had one restroom and the plumbing wasn't very good so the smell would overtake you once you entered the building.

What was the most rewarding part of your trip?

I loved playing with the kids, but I also got to see what life is like in a developing country so I'm not as ignorant about life outside the US. I would still like to see more of the world though.

After your mission, how do you feel about the US military?

I would say that I'm promilitary. I joined to help pay for school and so that I could travel. This trip made me very glad that I joined, and I'm starting to ponder the idea of re-enlisting or going for an officer slot.

What would you like to do in the future then?

First, get accepted to medical school, and then finish it. As for a career I want to do more humanitarian and relief work through the military.