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Building happiness: One car part at a time

  • Published
  • By By Senior Airman Chip Slack
  • 27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, NEW MEXICO --  An escape from the stress and wear-and-tear of life is what Staff Sgt. Tom Sieben, 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron combat oriented supply operations, has found in the form of a 1965 Ford F-100 pick-up named “Paige.”

Working slowly, but with purpose and precision, Sieben has transformed an average storage unit into his own all-inclusive auto shop. Over the course of the last two years, a truck that was once literally put to pasture in the fields of Kress, Texas, has been molded and transformed to make its debut at the 2nd Annual “Draggin’ Main” event, Saturday in Clovis.

Sieben’s belief is simple: Getting out and doing something beyond the duty day is essential in today’s Air Force. According to Sieben, having a hobby, something that fills your heart and mind with passion, creates individual pride.

“I have had to rely on people within the community for constant inspiration and motivation to finish this project,” Sieben said. “When I need advice or guidance, there is a huge support system within this community to help me finish this project. It has taken patience and endless planning and flexibility. When you are as passionate as I am about projects like these, sacrificing your time and money is worth it.”
Sieben attributes his genuine happiness with his current assignment to the friendships and connections he has made in the local community.

“The most rewarding thing about restoring cars and doing what I do is that I have been able to tie myself to the community,” Sieben said. “I have made friendships and networked within this town in ways I never imagined.”

“Get out and do something,” he continued. “Enjoy the supportive community because when you involve yourself in the community, you are showing that the base supports a community that is supporting you. There is a great relationship that can be built from it.”

Taking the phrase “grow where you are planted” to heart, Seiben has created an epidemic of car enthusiasts who have formed their own community, encouraging one another in their endeavors and epitomizing the wingman concept any chance they get.

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