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From the Frontlines: Senior Master Sgt. Rick Stiles

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody H. Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
He isn't sniping Taliban leaders from hilltops; he isn't dismantling Improvised Explosive Devise; he isn't flying a jet over enemy territories to bomb key targets; but he is providing one the most important necessities while deployed: quality of life.

Senior Master Sgt. Rick Stiles returned here June 11 from a four-month deployment to Sather Air Base, Iraq, as the 447th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron sustainment services flight supervisor.

While deployed, Sergeant Stiles oversaw services to include the dining facility, fitness facility and lodging, along with all recreational activities.

"I had great Airmen out there who played key roles in accomplishing a lot," he said. "We had to make sure we were doing the best we could to provide the best quality of life available."

Sergeant Stiles said his Airmen prepared more than 630,000 meals equaling a value of $2.2 million, hosted 950 recreational events with more than 800,000 total participants, supported more than 120,000 transient personnel through their lodging facilities and brought $100,000 worth of new fitness equipment to the base.

Besides supervising his staff, he also reduced the number of FSS personnel in support of President Obama's 2009 Iraq draw-down plan designed to pull out about 100,000 deployed servicemembers from Iraq by Aug. 31, 2011. Sergeant Stiles subcontracted personnel to help achieve this goal, reducing his Airmen from 29 to three.

Along with helping reduce manning in Iraq, Sergeant Stiles assisted in renewing Sather's in-garrison expeditionary site plan for the first time in three years. The plan provides decision-makers with standardized, substantive, and reliable site survey information essential to successful mission accomplishment.

Sergeant Stiles also had the opportunity to work with the Army on a joint-mortuary team honoring 12 fallen warriors. His team prepared these fallen comrades for transport back to the U.S.

"Seeing the caskets brought me back into reality," he said. "It reminded me why we were really there--we wanted those who make the ultimate sacrifice for our country to be sent home the proper way, the way they deserve."

Airmen deployed are putting their lives at risk for this country and Sergeant Stiles' leadership team wanted to ensure they were taken care of.

"Our Airmen worked hard and we made sure they were recognized for their efforts and the impact that they had on Sather," he said.

With the Airmen's help, Sergeant Stiles said he was content with how his team left Sather.

"We met our goals and accomplished everything we wanted to," he said. "We wanted to go into a place and make it better, which I believe we did."