Memorial Day Weekend - Part III - Memorial Day 2010

This is my final tribute for this Memorial Day - 2010. I made this a three part series (one post for each day of the 3 day weekend) to remind myself and others that the holiday weekend has been set aside by our government to give us the opportunity to honor our men and women that have died in war. Today I honor two soldiers. One who is memorialized at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Orgun-E and the other from which FOB Shank is named.

PFC Jerod R. Dennis
Photo Contributed By: Brenda N @ Find A Grave.com

"Army Pfc. Dennis was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Dennis died of wounds sustained during a firefight with enemy forces in the vicinity of Ne Shkin after his platoon was ambushed. Jerod graduated from Antlers High School in May 2002 where he was a popular and fun-loving student. He was quite an achiever – one who went all out on anything in which he was interested whether it was winning championships in tennis or aggravating the teachers in that endearing way of his."

-Click here to read more about Jerod

Dennis Army Airfield at FOB Orgun-E, Paktika Province, Afghanistan
Photo By: COL Capps 2007

25APR 2003
"As a gunbattle raged around him, Pfc. Jerod Dennis ran a mile up a road in Afghanistan to get help for a wounded American soldier. Although he was later killed in the fight, Dennis single-handedly provided cover for soldiers caught in an ambush. Dennis, Sgt. Kevin Feliciano and Airman 1st Class Raymond Losano were remembered Thursday in a ceremony at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum downtown. The 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, dedicated a stone in honor of the paratroopers who died in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The stone will be placed in the garden area in front of the museum."

"Wall of Heroes" - FOB Orgun-E, Paktika Province, Afghanistan
Photo By: COL Capps March, 2007

"Wall of Heroe" - FOB Orgun-E,  Paktika Province, Afghanistan
March, 2010

Lt. Col. Richard Clarke, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, said the memorial is a tribute to the paratroopers. "It will serve to remind us of the sacrifice made by them," he said. "Paratroopers will never forget paratroopers." Feliciano died June 28,  when his truck overturned while traveling to Orgun-E, a firebase in southeastern Afghanistan. Losano, an Air Force combat controller attached to the 504th, died in the ambush. Dennis died April 25, 2003. He was 19. He was awarded the Silver Star in August, the third-highest honor for soldiers. Dennis was part of a quick reaction force trying to help American soldiers under attack along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. 

 -Click here to read more about this story

SSG Michael Shank
Photo Posted on Soldier Wall.com by Tiffany Pender

Staff Sergeant Michael Shank was killed in action on November 28, 2006 in Logar, Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during combat operations. SSG Shank was deployed with the 230th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade out of Kaiserslautern , Germany.

Michael Shank joined the Army in Feb 1996 as Military Police. He went to FT. McCellan, Alabama for basic training and AIT. Reported to FT. Bragg, NC June 1996. He went to the 65th MP CO ABN. Deployed to Bosnia (Camp Kime, Camp Colt) July 96′ to April 97′. Went to Airborne School Ft. Bening, GA, Aug-Sep 97′. Went to the 21st MO CO ABN Jan 98. Went back to Bosnia (Tuzla Main) March 98′ to Aug 98′. Went to Johnston Island, HI. Dec 99′ to Dec 00′. Reenlisted for three years March 99′. Went to Primary Leadership Development Course Oct 00′. Jan 00′ to Dec 2002 Ft. Sill, OK. Dec 2002 to sometime in 2005 Kasiserslautern, Germany. In 2004 he went to Iraq. Then back to Germany for a year. Then to Afghanistan, where he gave his life while serving his country.

SCHOOLS: Combat Lifesaver Course, Airborne School, Ardmore School, PLDC
AWARDS: Army service ribbon, Overseas Ribbon (2), Armed Forces Service Medal (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Nato Medal (2), Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal (1 OLC), Army Commendation Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Development Ribbon, Army Superior Unit Award. Reenlisted 3-13-02 and again in the spring of 2006.

Airborne Chapel - Southside, FOB Shank
Logar Province, Afghanistan

Although FOB Shank essentially remains a tent city, it is growing rapidly. It will be one of the largest FOBs in Afghanistan, likely rivaling the size of Bagram or Kandahar. If so, I hope that SSG Shank's name will remain a permanent part of Afghanistan history.

Wild Poppies - Westside, FOB Shank
Logar Province, Afghanistan

Final notes:


Quite frankly, its easier for me to honor the fallen this year than it is for you. I have no distractions. The war surrounds me. Despite my prior service, I can't say that I've given that much reverence to this day. I suppose it may have had something to do with the fact that as I grew up, there essentially were no wars. I was too young to understand the Vietnam war. Korea and World War II were only distant memories in text books. I was disconnected from the tragedies of war. I did not know anyone who had served in combat. My father was our only family member that had served any time in the military, and he was out long before I was born. 

War	Dates	Deaths	Wounded
World War I	1917-1918	Combat: 53,402 Other: 63,114 Total: 116,516	204,002
World War II	1941-1946	Combat: 291,557 Other: 113,842 Total: 405,399	670,846
Korean War	1950-1953	Combat: 33,739 Other: 2,835 Total: 36,574	103,284
Vietnam War	1964-1973	Combat: 47,434 Other: 10,786 Total: 58,220	153,303
Iranian Hostage Rescue Mission	April 25, 1980	Combat:8 Other: 0 Total: 8	0+
Lebanon Peace Keeping Mission***	1982-1984	Combat: 256 Other: 0 Total: 256	169
Operation Urgent Fury Grenada	1983	Combat:18 Other: 1 Total: 19	119
Operation Just Cause Panama	1989-1990	Combat: 23 Other: ? Total: 23	325
Persian Gulf War Operation Desert Shield Operation Desert Storm	1990-1991	Combat: 147 Other: 235 Total: 382	467
Restore Hope / UNOSOM / Somalia*	1992-1994	Combat: 29  Other: 14 Total: 43	153
Bosnian War NATO Operation Deliberate Force	1995-2004	Combat: 1 Other: 11 Total: 12	6
Uphold Democracy / Haiti***	1994-1996	Combat: 1  Other: 3 Total: 4	3
Kosovo War***	1998 - May 2010	Combat: 1 Other: 19 Total: 20	2+
Operation Enduring Freedom* (Includes Afghanistan, Pakistan and Philippines) (? Horn of Africa and Trans-Sahara)	2001 - APR 2010	Combat: 762 Other: 282 Total: 1044**	5,370
Operation Iraqi Freedom*	2003 - APR 2010	Combat: 3475  Other: 911 Total: 4386	31,809

-Click here to access Reference from Feb 2010 FPC.state.gov publication
*http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm
**iCasualties.org reports 1,087 killed in action as of 31 MAY 2010
***Wikipedia United States Casualty Statistics

Our nation has been at war now for over 10 consecutive years. Despite that, less than 1% of the nation makes up our armed forces. We remain in Kosovo, Philippines, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet most of us never really think about the fact that we're at war. I think that's the problem. "We" aren't at war. Our government has troops deployed, but our nation doesn't appear engaged. In my personal opinion, the media remains suboptimal in its reporting and our leadership has failed to clearly define the goals to the American public. Having timetables of troop pull-outs is not a goal in my opinion. The only saving grace is that this we remain an all volunteer military force.


So, you might stop and think - on this Memorial Day 2010 - and consider how we as a nation can honor those killed in action. I will do so by continuing to play an active role in the Army Reserves as a trauma surgeon. I will not sit on the sidelines and 'forget' that we're fighting wars. I wish that the rest of us would demand that our media spend more time reporting on these wars and less time commentating (there's enough pundits and not enough information). Maybe then, the public would become more engaged as a nation. I think if that would happen, we would see just how great of a nation we are.

Memorial Day Weekend - Part II

SSG Heathe N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital - Bagram, Afghanistan
Photo By: MAJ Aitchison

I am continuing my memorial day weekend tribute with images and stories from two other bases that I've been while in Afghanistan. Today, I will focus on Bagram Airfield.

Bagram Airfield (BAF) contains numerous tributes to fallen heroes. In one of my first posts, "Disney Means Something Different To Me Now", I was referring to SPC Jason A. Disney who was killed in action on 13 FEB, 2002 while working to make BAF a better place to live. Today, I want to show you Craig Joint Theater Hospital in BAF.

SSG Heathe N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital - Bagram, Afghanistan
Photo By: MAJ Aitchison

Army flight medic, Staff Sergeant. (SSG) Heathe Craig, was killed in action on June 21, 2006 while attempting to save the life of PFC Brian J Bradbury who was wounded by enemy fire in the vicinity of Naray, Afghanistan. SSG Heathe was hoisting PFC Bradbury from a ridgeline to his UH60 Blackhawk helicopter when their hoistline failed. Both fell to their deaths.

159th Medical Co. Patch

SSG Heathe was 28 years old, from Severn, Md. and a father of two. He deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom with the 159th Medical Company out of Weisbaden, Germany.

10th Mountain Division Shoulder Patch

PFC Bradbury was 22 years old, from Saint Joseph, Missouri. He was assigned to 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y..

SSG Heathe N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital - Bagram, Afghanistan
Photo By: MAJ Aitchison

The Craig Joint Theater Hospital officially opened for business March 4, 2007. It is the main hub for all soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors that are sick, injured or wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom. Prior to this facility opening, the Army took care of patients in tents, just like we do here at FOB Shank.

SSG Heathe N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital - Bagram, Afghanistan
Photo By: MAJ Aitchison

The facility is now bounded by "T-barriers" and no photo really does it justice. The hospital is manned by both Army and Air Force personnel, working in concert to provide the highest level of care available in Afghanistan (hence the term "Joint" Theater Hospital).

Wild Poppy - FOB Shank, Logar Province Afghanistan
In Memory Of Our Fallen Heroes

Memorial Day Weekend - Part I

This weekend, I honor all those who have died in service to our country by paying tribute to a fallen hero who is forever associated with Forward Operating Base Shank. Today I want to show you how the Army honored Major Larry J. Bauguess, Jr. by showing that his name lives on at FOB Shank. You can also learn more about MAJ Bauguess at the Major Larry J Bauguess, Jr. Memorial Fund website.

Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Major Bauguess was killed in action on 14 MAY 2007 in Teri Mengel, Pakistan. He was based out of FOB Gardez, with the 82nd Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team. 

Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

So, I was curious. How did Major Bauguess' name become honored as a Battalion Aid Station in FOB Shank - a place that he never saw? 

Guidon outside Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

As I took these photos, I bumped into Chaplain Rodriguez of the 173d Airborne. Chaplain Rodriguez just so happened to be deployed with the 82nd Airborne in 2007 at FOB Gardez, where MAJ Bauguess served. CPT Rodriguez explained to me that a few months after MAJ Bauguess' death, the 4th BCT took over FOB Shank. At that time, FOB Shank was little more than a tiny combat outpost (it is quickly becoming the largest FOB in Afghanistan). Nonetheless, because of this move, MAJ Bauguess' name has now become part of FOB Shank history. 

Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

As you walk into the clinic, just midway down the main hallway on the left, you see the plaque shown above and below. When I first arrived at Shank, I saw this clinic and read the plaque. I am honored to show it to everyone on this Memorial Day weekend, 2010. I have reproduced the text of the plaque in italics for easier reading.

Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

05/15/07

82^nd Airborne Division Paratrooper, Major Larry Bauguess of Moravian Falls, N.C. died from injuries sustained from enemy small arms fire in Teri Mengel, Pakistan Monday. The 36-year-old was the operation officer for the 4^th Brigade Combat Team’s Special Troops Battalion.

Bauguess graduated from Appalachian State University in 1993 and received his commission in July 1993. “He was where he wanted to be; next to his Commander, on the ground, in the fight,” said Maj. Kenneth J. Ratashak, Executive Officer, 508^th STB. “If he knew (today) would turn out the way it did, he would have gone anyway. That’s just who he was.” Bauguess’ military schools include the Infantry Officer’s Basic Course, the Air Assault Course, and the Ranger Course completed in 1994. He completed the Strategic Mobile Planning Course in 1997, the U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course in 2000, and the Command and General Staff College in 2006.

He arrived to the 82^nd Abn. Div. in May 2006 and was assigned as the Company Executive Officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2^nd Bn., 508^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4^th Brigade Combat Team. In December 2006 he was reassigned to the 4^th BSTB as the Operations Officer. “He played games like Tic-Tac-Toe with his daughters every night, when possible. He would put the game on a Power Point slide, fill in his move and then email it off to them. Then the next day he would get an email back with their moves filled in,” said Ratashak.

Another officer who worked with Bauguess, Capt. Justin Raphael, remembered his boss and friend as a very approachable leader who was a great guy to work for. He was very down-to-earth and he would never ask a soldier to do anything he would not do himself said Raphael. In 1997, Bauguess deployed to Saudi Arabia for four months. He has one previous deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the XVIII Airborne Corps in 2005.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the National Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Ranger Tab. Bauguess is survived by his wife, Wesley Bauguess, and daughters, Ryann and Ellie Bauguess, all of Fayettville, N.C.; and his parents, Larry and Martha Bauguess.

In honor of this fallen hero, Task Force Diablo will be having a Memorial Service today at 2:20 p.m. at Forward Operating Base Gardez.

Larry was a man of great personal faith. He was raised in his church in Moravian Falls, NC, and he grew up in a loving Christian home. It was this faith which became the bedrock of our relationship. He was able to express his faith in God to me so clearly, and it became a bond that sustained our family. We truly believe that, now, he’ll watch over us as our own personal angel.

As a father and husband, Larry was amazing. He managed to achieve a remarkable balance in his life. He made sure our daughters understood the importance of everything that was happening within our family. He saw it as his duty to maintain a very strong connection with the girls. When he talked to them, he wouldn’t do it standing above them. He would physically get down on their level. He was so good at talking to them and playing with them. He enjoyed letting everything else go and focusing on them. In his Mother’s Day email to me, he said, “thank you, Wesley, thank you for allowing me to be a Paratrooper in the US Army. I am very proud of you and all that you do for me, our children and all the troopers of this battalion. I miss you but love you so much more.” He never ended a phone call or email without personally acknowledging each of us and telling each of us, “I love you.”

Wild poppy just outside Bauguess Clinic - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

The red poppy above grows wild in Afghanistan (so much so that you can see it growing inside FOB Shank). Most of us now only associate it with the drug trade. However, the red poppy is the traditional flower to be placed at the burial site of our men and women who were killed while in service to their country. Moina Michael is credited with the 1915 idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. You can read more about Memorial Day history here.

Picture Of The Day - 28 MAY 2010 "Celerity"

28 MAY 2010 - Celerity

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and this post is getting out late (But just under the wire stateside). I hope to find something worthwhile to say over the next few days. I think I will start with the fact that Memorial Day isn't about the troops serving overseas. Its about those American soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who have died serving our country. Its our duty, as American citizens, to honor them over the next 3 days. I will do so in this blog.

Picture Of The Day - 27 MAY 2010 "Commitment"

27 MAY 2010 - Commitment

I've mentioned in a number of previous posts that the 909th FST holds daily medical lectures. There is a good reason to attend these ponitifications of cerebral excellence. One is that you never know what you might see. Today CPT Noah Reese, CRNA indulged his audience with a fiber optic light show which revealed the inner sanctum of the human airway. Thus according his gawking assembly a memorable view of his personal squawk portal as he passed the lighted video stick above his glottic opening. That's commitment (note the red trash bag between his legs).

Picture Of The Day - 26 MAY 2010 "First Cries"

26 MAY 2010 - New Beginnings

Today my wife delivered two tiny little girls into this world. I was on the phone with her friend, Noel, who was in the delivery room with Mary as the wee ones came into this world. I clearly heard their first cries over the phone. Mine followed immediately after. Such a swell of unexplainable emotions. Its overwhelming. But thank God for all the advanced medical care that was available for my wife and children. Thank you Drs Cook, Nanda and Palmer.

Being far away only gives me time to ponder life and how lucky we are. I am in a country so impoverished, that it ranks worse than Somalia. I have seen numerous children wounded or injured with little to no access to healthcare. I have been asked to see children with congenital disorders that require surgery, but there is no one to help them. This, I have written about before in my dispatch on "Princess Salerno". 

So when people ask me why I chose to leave my wife and children to go to war - I now think about the fact that I am so lucky to just be able to make that choice. The people of Afghanistan and other countries like it have no choice. They have little to no ability to change their future unless someone helps them. I am not going to get on a political soap box. I have my personal viewpoints, but they are of no matter. What I do want to say is that we are an incredibly lucky nation. A nation that was built on hard work, God and kindness to your fellow man. That's what my parents taught me and I hope, for my children's sake, that our nation sticks with those roots. 

26 MAY 2010 - Celebration

On another note, it immediately occurred to me (being the High Tech Surgeon) how lucky I am to have the ability to have real-time communication from thousands of miles away (I certainly would have used telepresence technology if my internet bandwidth was better). Nonetheless, the Taliban cooperated and didn't mess with the cell towers, and the Internet bandwidth was just good enough to receive photos within minutes and repost them back for all my family and friends on Facebook. 

Thanks to Noel, Pat, Kim and Ross for getting pictures to me, nearly in real-time. Thanks to all my family and friends for being there and helping Mary. Again, without all of you - my family, friends, co-workers and employer - I could not be here to do the things I have done for our nation.  Its an honor. But the burden is definitely on those at home. God bless you all.

Picture Of The Day - 25 MAY 2010 "School House"

25 MAY 2010 - School House (Photo Courtesy of Chaplain "Z")

There is a lot that goes on outside the narrow view of my tiny little Afghanistan window. Every so often we sit down with the folks that get outside the wire. They regale us with tales of their day, or week, or month at places near and far. Chaplain "Z" and his team routinely go to otherforward operating bases (FOBs) and combat outposts (COPs) as I told in my story "A Whisper". The picture above is from one of Father "Zs" missions. His team delivered school supplies that came from Sam's charity to this school house. The school house is the brown building. You may notice that it abuts a stone wall with cameras that reach skyward from the other side. Just on the other side is a US military FOB. Many of the smaller FOBs and COPs are situated within or on the border of Afghan villages. FOB Shank has bordering villages and a school house next to it, but it is not nearly as integrated with the village as the one pictured above. I hope this photo serves to let you see how vastly different on FOB may be with another. Just like one city in the US can be radically different from another.

Picture Of The Day - 24 MAY 2010 "LiftOff"

24 MAY 2010 - LiftOff

I barely have just enough internet bandwidth to get this out - hopefully. Just after I published "9 Days With The 909th in Afghanistan", the internet wigged out. Now it is mostly working.

I like this photo, mainly because the crew member is looking straight at the camera for this photo. This was taken during an evacuation a few days ago. 

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

Alright, we're in our last 2 days of this series! I'm excited because doing these posts over an satellite internet connection is akin to being 5 years old and trying to talk to my 6 year old brother with two cans tied to each other with a string. It kind of worked..... I think.

173d Charlie Med Co. Medics - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

While we prepare for our dance inside the FST's ATLS tent, the medics prepare....ummmmm. chilax while waiting for the helicopters to arrive. Fortunately, the weather is a lot nicer than it was when we first arrived. You simply find a patch of shade (provided courtesy of a bunker) and plop down. 

Captains Of The Ship - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Back inside... the reason its easy to do my job is because the people above do their job so well. The OIC or office-in-charge ensures that the teams are ready and have everything they need to do their job. I just come into work and get to act like Dr. Nick on the Simpsons (Hi everybody!). In all seriousness, we all do our part. But the team really does make my job easy.

ATLS At Work - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Game on. At this point it's just like any big trauma center in the States. Except we're in a tent, without a CT scanner and limited to what we can carry if we had to break down and move. But, other than that it's exactly the same. The team descends on the patient. ABCs... calling out the injuries, assessing... deciding.. resuscitating...

ICU - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

All goes well. The patient enters the ICU .. Again, just like in the States... except for the tent :). We continue the critical care and make a disposition. This patient needs to move on to another location.

The Transporters - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Now that the patient is stabilized and injuries identified, its time to move out. The medical transport team moves in to receive the report on the patient. Today, the Air Force PJs are taking the duty. I've mentioned the PJs in an early post. Remember, PJs are rescue specialists with medic training. These dudes will go anywhere and do anything to save a life. They are the premiere rescue team in the military.

Air Force PJ MH60 Lifts Off From Medical HLZ - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

This is the last time we usually see the patient. Most never return to us. They move on to Bagram, then possibly to Landstuhl, Germany, then possibly to the States. But occasionally they do return (as in the case of the Afghan boy in the first part of this series).

Gathering Outside ATLS Tent - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

The final day of our story begins not unlike the rest. Everyone here likes to call it "Groundhog Day". It's not like that for me. Every day still feels different and if really pressed, I know that the others feel the same. We are all volunteers here. That's the beauty of the American military. Sure, there's plenty of bitching, but that's part of being in the Army. But being in the medical corps is really different. We have the fortune of helping people. Its immensely satisfying.

173d Medics - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

So, here we are again. You've seen this picture (well not this exact one) a bunch of times before. But I hope to give you a little bit of something different with each one. A different medic. A different look. Different lighting. Different angles. I like walking out and taking pictures of these folks. At this point I'm a bit like Dian Fossey (remember "Gorillas in the Mist" circa 1988?). At first, they ran when they saw the camera. I had to slowly introduce myself into their environment. Now, I can take closer, wide angle shots instead of telephotos. The camera has become accepted into the clan. :)

ATLS - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

But soon, we put on our game face and the dance begins. People move in and out. Talking is at a minimum. Everyone has a job, small and large. Sometimes its like worker bees moving through the honey comb. There is a queen bee leading the activity (ok... I can already hear people calling me a queen :) ... So insert King bee at this point), but its mostly programmed through the training.

Airway - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

The airway is secure, and resuscitation is underway. FAST exam, Xrays, labs... the injuries are identified. Cordis, Belmont, traction... Forward momentum continues.

Documentation - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Everything is recorded and tracked. The devil is in the details as they say and we make sure that we can go back and figure out what we did good and what we can improve. The information is eventually compiled and reviewed at a higher level for process improvement.

Return of The Transporters - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan

Our patient does well and prepares for a trip to receive further care. The helicopter medical team today are experts in handling critically ill patients on ventilatory support. They review the story, check and double check everything. The patient is ready for transport.

Weather System Moves In - FOB Shank, Logar Province, Afghanistan
Photo By: SPC Knight

From atop a bunker, a good vantage point is obtained to watch as the last helicopter moves out. The afternoon is here and so are the dust storms and the rain to follow. They lift off in gusty winds. The pilots work to make a steady launch. Once they're up and out of the ground effect, they're able to move out quickly to the north, away from the bad weather. Its a good day.

So that's 9 days with the 909th. .... Oh.. OK.. you may have caught me. It was really 10 days. But when I started to write this I thought I only had 9 days put together. Oh well, I'm just a doctor, not a mathematician. :)

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