Portrait of a Professional: August 2011

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MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. --  Portrait of a Professional is a monthly profile of an outstanding Staff Sergeant or below. Senior Airman Deepak Prasad, cyberspace journeyman assigned to the 129th Communications Flight, is featured in this month's Portrait of a Professional.

What is your favorite memory in the Air Force?

Coming back from deployment was pretty cool, seeing my family and co-workers waiting for me. When I returned from Afghanistan in 2010, it was good to be home and I had a great feeling of accomplishment having gone overseas and served my time. I'm glad I actually did it.

What motivated you to enlist in the Air Force?

I was motivated to enlist in the National Guard for the opportunity to have a weekend job to put extra money away for retirement. I would use my full time civilian job to pay for personal things and save the money I earned through the military.

How has being an Airman changed your outlook on life?

I am prior Navy, however if I could do it all over again I would have become and Airman from the beginning. It's more of a family, we realize we all have to work together all the time, which is something the civilian work world doesn't do often.

What's the most important lesson you've learned in the military?

Follow your technical orders all the time, always use a guide. You cannot remember everything, and things change too often. As long as you have a manual, and it's updated, just follow it.

If you could deploy anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would like to go to the United Arab Emirates.

If you could choose any Air Force job, which would it be?

I would still choose satellite communications and ground radio.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the Fiji islands, lived in New Zealand for four years then came to the United States when I was nine years old and lived in North Carolina.

What is your job in the civilian world?

I was a manager at a Washington Mutual bank.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

People think I'm a lot younger than I am, I'm 33 and but always get mistaken to be about 21, so people are surprised that I am married and have three children.

What are your hobbies?

In my free time I like to watch baseball, do jujitsu, play soccer and coach my sons little league team.