OASIS IN THE DESERT

“Oasis in the Desert”

If you’re looking for a little sanity in the middle of a war, what you need is an oasis in the desert. SSG Simmons, of the 57th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), LSA Anaconda, Iraq, provides just that with Original Java. His brain child consists of a trailer with a handmade serving bar, a reading area, a TV/gathering area, dozens of volunteers who man the serving bar 17 of 24 hours a day, and most importantly an ambiance that allows people to come in, relax to some good music and take a break from the tragedies they see every day. Original Java makes coffee drinks and smoothies in an environment that doesn’t even have running water and operates on donations and volunteer time alone. Between SSG Simmons’ daily flights as aero evacuation medic where he witnesses the worst that man can do to each other, he oversees Original Java with the care and love of a father. In fact, many people see him in just that light. He is a listening and caring man; anyone can pony up to the bar and be sure he is there to listen to their daily woes. I often see him come in after a flight and I ask him how the day is going, he answers that “today was a bloody one,” but later he comes back after a shower and says “it’s going to be better because the customers in Original Java always make me smile.” Not only does SSG Simmons provide great coffee with a homelike atmosphere, he takes care of our Soldiers and Airmen before and after they do their service for God and country, he is a true hero.

MAJ Deidra Siddall
332nd AEW/CCE
LSA Anaconda, Iraq