Face of Defense: Air Force Officer Contributes to DPAA Efforts

People join the Air Force for many reasons, from the potential to travel abroad to the educational benefits it affords. For some, the opportunity presents itself in a way that can only be described as the right place at the right time, and the story that blossoms from there can be filled with more opportunities than planned. 

Air Force Maj. Anh Ison, 28th Medical Group pharmacy element chief, was presented with her opportunity when she received an email from a local recruiter in college, leading to a flourishing career in the military and allowing her to use key skills outside the country.

Where Are You From?

I’m originally from Vietnam, but I moved here with my mom and dad when I was 18. My dad has family in Oklahoma, so we lived there. I attended pharmacy school in Oklahoma as well, then when I joined the Air Force, my first duty station was at Vance Air Force Base, also in Oklahoma. 

Did You Always Want to Join the Air Force?

It wasn’t something I considered until after I got to the U.S., as I don’t have any family in the military. I was working at a local pharmacy right outside Tinker Air Force Base where we served many retirees and active duty service members. It made me more curious about the military. Then during my second year in pharmacy school, a medical officer recruiter sent out an email to students about joining. I contacted her, and the rest is history. 

How Did You Get Involved With the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency? 

Before I joined the Air Force, I would hear people talking about how you can get paid for speaking a second language, but I didn’t know how to do that. Then when I got to my first duty station, I took a language test, but still wasn’t sure what to do with it. A lieutenant there told me about the Language Enabled Airman Program or LEAP, so I retook the test and applied it to my package. I was accepted into that program around this time last year, and that’s how my name was put on the roster with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency or DPAA. Then in April of this year, they sent out a request for volunteers for a mission in Vietnam, so I went after the opportunity. 

What Was a Typical Day Like While on the Mission? 

Every day, the Vietnamese government would drive us up a mountain near the location of a previous helicopter crash, and we would hike in the jungle for about 30 minutes down into a ravine. We had an archeologist on the team who would determine where we needed to dig, then once we started digging, we would put the dirt into buckets and those would get passed along a line of 100 local workers down to a washing station, as the area was very steep. At the washing station, high-pressure water was used to rinse the dirt to search for bones. This happened for about six weeks straight. 

Everyone would have to dig as part of the team. On top of that, as the linguist I was responsible for the communication between the team leader, the archeologist and Vietnamese government officials. This also included communicating with the local workers, as they would need to know what to do and where to go.

Were There Any Challenges You Encountered While There? 

The area we were in was very remote, so most people there didn’t speak Vietnamese as a first language. They could understand me perfectly because I was speaking standard Vietnamese, but it was really hard to understand them. Also, there was a lot that could get lost in translation, and after working days on end in the jungle, there was a lot of tension as well. Part of my job was to sense when it was happening and try to alleviate it as I was translating.

More on the physical side, there were leeches that would climb on us as we worked. They were about the size of a hair, and so after we were done for the day, we would have to check ourselves and each other to make sure we didn’t bring any back to the hotel with us. I learned on my first day not to lean on any trees!

What Did You Enjoy Most During the Mission? 

I enjoyed just being back in Vietnam. Where we were wasn’t the environment I grew up in, as I grew up in the city, but I enjoyed doing something different. This was a meaningful mission to me. It gave me the perspective of how hard the Vietnam War was on those who served there during that time. It was a tough environment!

I also enjoyed being an ambassador in a way; letting people know tidbits about Vietnamese culture. For a lot of the members on the American team, it was an eye-opening experience. I was happy that I had the chance to introduce them to things, to help them take it all in.  

Would You Volunteer With the DPAA Again? 

I’m so thankful for everyone’s support so I could go for the first time. It wasn’t easy, as it put a lot of strain on my family since I’m married and have two little kiddos. And as a pharmacist, it puts a lot of strain on the workflow in the pharmacy. But I would love to go back and do it all again. Knowing what I know now, I think it would be a lot smoother.

Outside of Work, What do You Like to Do for Fun? 

Last year my hobby was painting. I watched Bob Ross videos and learned to paint from them. This year’s hobby is crocheting. While in Vietnam for the mission, I would often stay in my room and crochet, as I learned how to do it about a month before I left. Other than that, I enjoy hiking with my family. I have two girls, one and four years old. So, we like to go to the park or the lake, and we go to the arcade a lot; things little kids like!