WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Almost 100 Iowan troops will soon be deployed across the world. They'll be tasked with various responsibilities.
Among them is Samir Dzaferagic, a Senior Airman in the United States Air Force. He works for the emergency management component of the 132nd Wing in Des Moines, which is attached to the Des Moines International Airport
"We train other airmen in how to protect themselves in case of a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attack," Dzaferagic said.
Dzaferagic wears two different hats, having a job in the civilian world as well.
"I'm a, an officer, uniformed officer with the Fifth Judicial District. We specialize in the fugitive apprehension," he said.
Dzaferagic was inspired to take on these large roles after emigrating from Bosnia. He and his family fled the country at the start of the Bosnian War in 1992, ending up in Germany.
"When we lived in Bosnia, we were under a serious threat. my father died during the war. and my parents had enough insight to... to know that we needed to leave,"
Eventually, he arrived in Des Moines through a refugee program. He attributes that journey as the reason he chose to serve as an officer and become an Airman
"I get to pay back this country for the opportunities and the freedoms that my family and I had been provided," Dzaferagic, said.
Second Lieutenant Matthew Doyle explained members like Dzaferagic go on deployment regularly. While you may imagine a deployment means heading to the middle of a firefight, it's nothing like what's portrayed in movies.
"Ultimately, when we go to deploy to different areas, the, the main justification behind that is so that we can support the area missions, which we're not able to do from the United States," Doyle said. "Unfortunately, for many of our missions, and so having us there on the ground, we can work with some of our allies, we can train different members."
This summer, Dzaferagic will leave for deployment along with almost a hundred other men and women in uniform
"I'll be leaving for southwest Asia this summer, and I'm excited about my deployment," Dzaferagic said.
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