9 Days With The 909th In Afghanistan - Part II of III

Dust Storm - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

I walked back to the FST after seeing Sam off, when ... Bam! (think Emeril, the chef) A dust storm strikes. Within a couple of hours, the dust was gone and the rain arrived.

Rainbow - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Like I said before, the rain will come in the afternoon, but it usually clears quickly. Giving these two runners enough time to get their sweat on. Heck, I think I've seen our guys out in the rain... they don't care... when they get a chance to rip off their ACUs and get outside the FST.... its go time. Rain or shine.

Daily Lecture - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

The next day we were treated to a fascinating lecture on a Chemical, Biologic, Radiologic and Nuclear (CBRN) lecture from our local expert. He did a great job of tackling a broad, dry topic and coning in on the important points, while making it all enjoyable. Frankly, we're just happy he didn't pop a CS grenade in the tent.... I really don't need a refresher in that experience.

Medevac Arrival - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

We are now into our last few days. Here is a window into what we do. Medevac missions are coordinated by a higher echelon. Where they come from and where they go is handled by someone other than us. Our mission is to simply be here and be prepared.

Metal - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

I don't have too much to say about this case, except that all did well. We certainly don't have to remove bullets or shrapnel from patients all the time (but sometimes you do). In fact, most times we don't ever go after them. Only in the movies is it 'life saving' to remove bullets (well ... every once in a great while its life-saving in real life too). In fact, Hollywood has made this one of the more difficult problems for trauma surgeons. That is.... trying to explain to people that it's OK to leave that hunk 'O metal in them. They just look at you like you're a complete whack job. So... for all you reading this... If you ever get shot and your trauma surgeon tells you that he/she is not going to take the bullet out... just smile and say thank you.

Jingle Truck - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

The next day I took a walk around the FOB. There's a lot of FOB to walk around. On this day, I walked about 4 miles or so. Of course, since it's just a walk... I grabbed my camera. Now, there's a whole bunch of stuff on the internet about jingle trucks (just google the name). In fact, I had a whole bunch of pictures of these bad boys in Bagram. But around Shank, they're... well.... somehow less ostentatious. But, lucky for me this one showed up. A true "jingle" truck. The chains in the front are said to make a "jingle" noise. But the most interesting point of this story... When the driver saw me taking a picture, he ran in front of the cab and motioned for me to take the picture with him in front. :) I found that pretty funny.

A View To The North - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

So my walk continued, moving south I stopped to look back north. Here you may be able to appreciate the dust haze which veils the mountains in the distance. Usually, when I publish the pictures, I work on the light leveling in an effort to reduce the dust noise. This picture is more representative of how it naturally looks. You may also appreciate that I am at a higher elevation here, in the south part of the base. In fact, it probably rises about 300 - 400 feet from the north side to the south side.

Baraki Barak - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

From the same location, I also had a good vantage overlooking the sweeping green district of Baraki, Barak. In the winter, it was not so easy to pick out the extent of this district. But now, with the summer months beginning, its quite easy to see both this district and that of the northern city of Pol-e-Alam. I would like the opportunity to visit these places. But, there is still too much left to do with securing this country before these places become safe.

Resuscitation Men - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan
Photo By: SSG Smith

Moving into day 8 we begin with trauma. Its no secret what we do here. However, how much and exactly when is something that you may notice I don't talk about. There is no release of what kind of trauma we see, or how many. I also refrain from referencing to any military or civilian action, that would potentially link these pictures to a particular incident. What I am trying to get at here is; I want to educate you, the reader, as to what we do at an FST, while at the same time doing everything I can to ensure patient privacy. You may notice at times, the photos are manipulated to obscure the patient and or some of the medical staff. Speaking of medical staff... how about that team above! When we get ready to receive trauma, the team huddles and ensures that we know who is doing what. This is team 1 for the day... and the huddle is complete.

Charlie Co medical support team - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

The FST isn't the only folks that prepare to receive patients. As we huddle, the 173d Charlie Med Co. people "spin up" for their roles. The medics prepare to offload patients from the air MedEvacs (photo #4 from the top) and the laboratory and radiology technicians prepare their equipment. Fortunately, we usually have more than enough warning to get ready. In the photo above, the technicians are so well trained that they can relax and read a magazine. :)

Continued..... to Part III or III