1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,480 (Hearvey Leake) I've always wanted to actually support 2 00:00:03,199 --> 00:00:06,399 the warfighters, and that's what our 3 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:09,360 agency does. But I also wanted 4 00:00:06,399 --> 00:00:11,280 to support from a right there where you 5 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,920 live standpoint as well. To get a feel 6 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,920 for how 7 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,839 our services are doing. And then, of 8 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,920 course, supporting the war warfighter 9 00:00:15,839 --> 00:00:20,240 where they live out in the contingency 10 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,240 areas. 11 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,599 (Leake) It gives you a greater sense of the 12 00:00:25,199 --> 00:00:28,880 importance of the job that you do here. 13 00:00:27,599 --> 00:00:31,279 When i got back, of course, from the 14 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:33,680 deployment, understanding how much our 15 00:00:31,279 --> 00:00:34,640 agency is a direct supporter of the 16 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,559 warfighter, 17 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,480 it gave me a greater sense of purpose of 18 00:00:36,559 --> 00:00:40,559 what we do on a daily basis. 19 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:41,920 (Julie Blanks) My deployment was truly the launching 20 00:00:40,559 --> 00:00:45,200 pad for 21 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:48,320 most of my career within DOD. Deploying 22 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:50,879 opened doors for me, it gave me 23 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,960 more credibility. When I came back, it 24 00:00:50,879 --> 00:00:53,920 made commanders and it made the military, 25 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,760 that we support, 26 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,199 realize that I do have something to 27 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,359 offer and contribute. 28 00:00:57,199 --> 00:01:00,239 They realized that I too had been on the 29 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:03,199 ground and understood the fight. 30 00:01:00,239 --> 00:01:03,840 (Leake) We had a very very 31 00:01:03,199 --> 00:01:06,720 diverse 32 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:09,040 group. A lot of the the agencies and the 33 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,880 services are sending civilians as well. 34 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,280 We had 12 people in our group, and so you 35 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,479 become close-knit after two or three 36 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,040 weeks of training 37 00:01:14,479 --> 00:01:17,840 together. And we all still keep in 38 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,439 touch. 39 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:24,720 (Blanks) The kinds of experiences that I had were 40 00:01:21,439 --> 00:01:26,560 incredible and varied, nothing like I've 41 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:30,240 ever experienced before. 42 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:32,720 I grew as a person. I grew professionally, 43 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,360 and it is something that I will never 44 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,159 Regret doing. 45 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,799 (Leake) I got so much out of this program 46 00:01:36,159 --> 00:01:39,280 that I 47 00:01:36,799 --> 00:01:41,360 deployed three times, two times to 48 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,280 Afghanistan, one time to Kuwait. 49 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,200 This program was really that great, that 50 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,920 it just inspired me to deploy three 51 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,640 times. 52 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,439 This program really sets the tone for 53 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,119 people who 54 00:01:49,439 --> 00:01:52,720 who want to deploy, who want to make a 55 00:01:51,119 --> 00:01:55,600 difference, who want to make an impact. 56 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,159 the EC program really provides that 57 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:59,680 venue, 58 00:01:56,159 --> 00:01:59,680 that avenue for you to be able to do 59 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,840 that.