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Nearly five years in Iraq: Tinker AAFES employee dedicated to mission

  • Published
  • By Brandice J. Armstrong
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  In 2004, David Lukinbill, an Army and Air Force Exchange Service employee from Tinker, volunteered for an overseas deployment to Iraq. After six months abroad, the Oklahoma native did the seemingly unthinkable he volunteered to stay ... for another four years. Mr. Lukinbill returned to Tinker this past April.

Mr. Lukinbill, a motor-vehicle operator prior to his deployment, said he went because he felt it was something he needed to do, but after his initial six months expired, he stayed for the challenge.

"I stayed because it was a job I really, truly liked," said Mr. Lukinbill, who celebrates his seventh anniversary with AAFES in October. "It kept me on my toes and it was something different every day. Second, I stayed because the more I did it, the more the mission changed."

In Iraq, Mr. Lukinbill served as a logistics specialist, tracking merchandise shipments arriving from Germany, Turkey, Jordan and Kuwait. Shipments were primarily delivered by trucks and included a variety of household wares such as television sets, soap, toothpaste and towels. During his four-and-a-half-year deployment, Mr. Lukinbill said he traveled to various parts of Iraq and battled several challenges he likely wouldn't have otherwise faced.

"I was a little scared, I didn't know exactly what to expect," Mr. Lukinbill said. "I knew that it wasn't going to be plush living like it is here in the United States, but you never truly know what you're stepping into until you actually get there and see it for yourself."

Upon arriving, Mr. Lukinbill settled into a barrack-type room fit for 30 men. He worked seven days a week. He said his days typically began at 7 a.m. and ended at midnight. He witnessed sandstorms that lasted three days and were so thick that nothing beyond the front of a vehicle could be seen. He also saw how rain quickly turned roads into slick, muddy messes. Due to poor drainage systems, some areas had standing water for months.

As time passed, Mr. Lukinbill said his living arrangements improved. He was moved to a "saw hut," a wooden building constructed by the Navy. Then, he moved into a "hooch," which he said, is a 40-foot building divided into three rooms with two people per room.

Throughout his stay, Mr. Lukinbill said he never lost sight of the mission. After all, if a store lacked product, such as soap, military members often took it to heart and were disappointed in the shop.

"By getting the merchandise in, we were able to give the [military members] more available product to buy," Mr. Lukinbill said. "And it kept morale up."

Mr. Lukinbill said the length of his deployment frequently sparked conversation. Few could believe or understand why he stayed for so long. But, Thomas Ray, Mr. Lukinbill's supervisor, said he isn't surprised by Mr. Lukinbill's devotion to the mission or sacrifice to deploy for nearly five years.

"David is diligent, funny and hardworking," said Mr. Ray, who has known Mr. Lukinbill for the past eight years. "He keeps us laughing when he's here, he's always finding things to do even when he's not asked, and he's very proficient."

Overall, Mr. Lukinbill said he's enjoyed his experience and has a great appreciation for the warfighter.

"Deploying with the military in a wartime situation really gave me a better understanding of what they actually go through on a day-to-day basis," Mr. Lukinbill said.

Mr. Lukinbill returned from Iraq April 20. Since being back, he's working as a receiver, accepting incoming merchandise from vendors and distribution centers.