ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- "Get in and get out." That was their motto whenever they journeyed to downtown locations in Iraq.
"Our air base got hit a lot. We had drive-by shootings, and we knew that hostilities lay just outside the gate. So, every day we looked to intelligence, and we evaluated whether or not it was safe to go out," said Master Sgt. Anthony Rutherford of the 3rd Contracting Squadron here. "Our goal was to get downtown, do what we had to do and get back as soon as possible."
Sergeant Rutherford recently returned from Kirkuk Air Base, along with squadron contracting officers Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dufrene from Tallil Air Base and Staff Sgt. Maripet Short from Baghdad International Air Base. For them and others who were deployed in Iraq supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom going back to their normal jobs has taken some getting used to.
While deployed, the three airmen went from ordinary contracting behind a desk to "combat" contracting. Their jobs included the dangerous task of going off base, which was prohibited for most other deployed airmen.
The job of the 3rd CONS airmen in their deployed locations was to negotiate and buy supplies from Iraqi vendors, including fuel, food and equipment.
"Airmen may not think about where the supplies they use come from, but whatever they don't take with them when they deploy is the job of contracting members -- to keep the supplies flowing," Sergeant Rutherford said.
To accomplish this on their recent deployment, the contracting officers drove convoy vehicles led or accompanied by force protectors and wore individual protective equipment or regular clothing.
"I wore civilian clothing off base to blend in, but our crew had weapons and clips on them, and we took radios with us and kept in contact with the base every 30 minutes," Sergeant Rutherford said.
In negotiating with the vendors, the contractors said they brought along interpreters and samples of the goods they needed.
"We usually took U.S. and foreign interpreters with us, and we had to lug a lot of things out for the vendors to see so they knew what we were looking for," Sergeant Short said. "They weren't used to the quality we have here (in the United States), so they liked to see our goods. They also liked to make sure that they came as close as possible to what we needed."
At most times, the airmen said the Iraqi vendors were friendly and would go out of their way to ensure their satisfaction.
"They always wanted to make us happy with what we bought," Sergeant Rutherford said. "They looked forward to doing business with us. If something wasn't their specialty, they wouldn't tell you 'no,' they would go out and find what you needed."
The Iraqi vendors were impressed by the airmen's use of capitalism.
"When we asked them what the prices were, many of them were surprised that they weren't being told what they were going to be paid," Sergeant Rutherford said. "Many of them wanted to express their gratitude by giving us gifts and trying to feed us, but we had to be careful not to accept without insulting their culture."
At the same time, the airmen said they knew to be careful, as Iraq is home to many ethnicities.
"It was important that we balanced who we did business with to keep ethnic tensions at rest, and not buy from just one group," Sergeant Rutherford said.
After being deployed since July, the airmen said they still remember the sound of mortar and ground attacks shaking the earth, a vast difference from the winter tranquility of Alaska. However, all three sergeants said they would not mind going back.
"By the time I left, we saw a big improvement," Sergeant Short said. "From the things we bought to our work over there, we made a difference."
When the conditions were rough, the challenge of it was very rewarding, Sergeant Dufrene said.
"If I wasn't married, I would go back,” he said. “There's a certain feeling of satisfaction you get in giving back and helping out another's situation."
"They've really made a difference for the people of Iraq and returned home safely, which makes this mission a success," said Lt. Col. Russell Shaw, 3rd CONS commander. "We made sure that they were properly trained and equipped and they have risen successfully to meet their challenge -- this is something to really be proud of."