"...I'd say I was bitten by the surf bug..." Published Aug. 8, 2017 By Senior Airman Justin Parsons 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- "I have always enjoyed being out on the water and always wanted to learn how to surf but never had the opportunity until got stationed here at Beale. One of my co-workers asked me if I wanted to go out to the coast and learn to surf and was instantly hooked once I was out there. The ocean is constantly changing and you're adapting with it, being out there in that exact moment, everything else turns off and you have pure clarity. It's refreshing to be out on the ocean and feel its energy, it helps release any stress I may have in my life at that moment which will keep me fresh for a few weeks, then I go back out and recharge again. I'd say I was bitten by the surf bug." Staff Sgt. John Patterson, 9th Aerospace Medicine Squadron flight and operational medical technician Hometown: Brownstown, Michigan