How did an Air Force guy end up at a South Korean Army base?

I was a nonvolunteer for this. This was the easiest way to get a good follow-on assignment.

What work do you do there?

Satellite communications.

How long have you been in the Air Force?

Seven years and 11 months.

And how long have you been bowling?

Since I was 5 years old — so about 22 years.

What are some of your bowling career highlights?

Two 300 games, two 290 games and one 800 series. Numerous scholarships earned as a junior bowler.

What makes a good bowling alley?

Many factors such as the type of lanes (wood or synthetic). I think the type of oil pattern put on the lanes makes a good bowling alley. … If there is a bad oil condition on the lanes, there won’t be as many high games bowled.

What won’t you deploy without?

Definitely my MP3 player. When everything is all set up and all you do is monitor the satellite link, nothing passes the time like some good music.

What won’t you bowl without?

My rosin bag is a must. Every bowler has a different feel for a ball. My hands sweat so I need the rosin to keep them dry.

Were money no object, what kind of bowling ball would you own?

I’m an impulse buyer when it comes to bowling balls. I’m not familiar with the equipment that is out at this time, so I would have to do some research to find out which ball would give me the best performance for the money.

What should a new bowler look for in choosing a bowling ball?

Talk with the pro shop driller to get a good idea of what ball would be best suited for your style of game. Bowling balls are expensive so it would be foolish to spend a lot of money on a ball that you don’t really need.

Any tips for knocking down a 7-10 split?

Throw at either the 7 or 10 pin straight and hard. This is to create as much deflection of the pin to get a lucky bounce off of something, so that it will take out the opposite pin.

Any tips for avoiding 7-10 splits?

The reality is that despite the best-thrown ball, the result may be a 7-10 split. No way to get around it, other than getting a strike the first time. However, if you make a mistake, then a 7-10 split may be the result.

When you’re not working your Air Force job or bowling, where can you likely be found?

Spending time with my friends and experiencing the Korean culture.

What are some of the other places you’d like to be stationed?

I joined to get the opportunity to see the world, so I would have to say Italy and Japan.

Staff Sgt. Hans Schell

Age: 27

Title: Bowler

Day job: Satellite wideband and telemetry systems on Camp Humphreys

Pacific readers: Know someone whose accomplishments, talents, job, hobby, volunteer work, awards or good deeds qualify them for 15 minutes of fame? How about someone whose claim to glory is a bit out of the ordinary — even, dare we say, oddball? Call Sharen Johnson at Stars and Stripes with the person’s name and contact information at DSN 229-3305 or e-mail her at johnsons@pstripes.osd.mil.