Missing Home

  • Published
  • By SrA. Charles Hutchinson IV
  • 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  On any normal day, jovial, outgoing, and energetic are just a few words that describe TSgt. Michael Valentin, but not today.

TSgt. Valentin has been deployed to the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Transit Center, Southwest Asia, since December 2013, as the NCOIC of volunteer operations. Back home, he's the 439th AW Chapel NCOIC and a firefighter in his civilian life. After several months of hard work -which has included processing more than 52,000 servicemembers - the pace had begun to wear on TSgt. Valentin.

During a phone interview, his voice modulated with somber, mellow, and tired tones.

TSgt. Valentin is in charge of the chapel annex, which is basically a recreational center. He's responsible for over 200 volunteers.

As if dealing with hundreds of volunteers isn't tough enough, TSgt. Valentin also handles over $82,000 worth of donations; anything from hygiene and toiletries, to board games and DVDs.

"We run a 24/7 operation here. I have to make sure everything is in running order so the members have a facility to use whenever they want", he said. For security reasons, his exact location can't be published.

One of the largest adjustments TSgt. Valentin has had to acclimate himself with is the amount of people that he deals with.

"The clientele is way more than Westover has. Since I've been here, we've dealt with a little over 52,000 members from Air Force and Marines, to Army and Navy personnel. It has been very high tempo", he said.

Speaking of a fast paced life, TSgt. Valentin said he hit the ground running. "I was extremely exhausted, especially since the flight was two days."

Upon his arrival, the time difference was 11 hours ahead of Westover's Eastern Standard Time, and since Southwast Asia. This area doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time, so there was a 12-hour difference.

"You are pretty much a zombie when you get here," said TSgt. Valentin. "You get off the plane, you in process, you meet the team. I actually worked six hours after meeting the team. Physically, I was pretty much destroyed from the flight. But the very next day I began working hard and I've been doing it ever since."

Besides his girlfriend and their dog, TSgt. Valentin misses the little things the most, especially good food, and the ability to eat what he wants, when he wants it.

Although the chow hall is always available, TSgt. Valentin said it's a little like the movie Groundhog Day. Each day tends to repeat itself.

"I would love nothing more than to be able to eat rice and beans when I want it", he said.

Another small thing he misses is driving. While he is able to drive on post occasionally, he thinks driving 12 miles per hour will throw him off his game slightly when he has to battle the breakneck pace of Boston-area traffic upon his return home.

The 376th has been in place for over 12 years and has tackled many different missions, from air refueling to airlift. They are now on their fifth, and from what TSgt. Valentin said, their final mission.

"Our last mission is closing this base down. We started at the beginning of this month and it will end sometime in the summer."

TSgt. Valentin's presence, or lack thereof, has been felt and missed as of late at Westover. One place in particular that has felt the absence of Valentin is his home away from home - the Patriot Wing's chaplain office.

"TSgt V. is one of those people who always seems to be right where you need him to be," said Capt. Matthew Zimmerman, a 439th Airlift Wing chaplain. "He can be trusted and is a linchpin to what we do. He works hard and has fun doing it. He sees trouble areas and gets them taken care of. The chapel isn't the same without him!" With a slated five-month deployment, TSgt. Valentin is scheduled to return later this spring.

One final thing TSgt. Valentin said he missed: "The camaraderie with my family at Westover."