Close to Home

Last week my unit had an experience that brought the trauma of this war close to home. After everyone was in bed a convoy of HMMMVs came speeding into our compound yelling for a medic. Many of us came running outside to see what was happening. Soon we found out there was a young female soldier that had been seriously injured by a IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in the red zone while she was headed back to her FOB (Forward Operating Base). She wasn't breathing and didn't have a pulse so my unit started CPR, intubated her and started an IV. It seemed like an eternity before the ambulance arrived to transport her to the hospital, eventhough it was only a short period of time. Unfortunately she passed away, leaving us all to question what we might have done different to possibly change the outcome. As a medical professional I realize that we made a valiant effort to save her life but her injuries were very serious and she had lost too much blood by the time we saw her.

Being located in the green zone, we have been very sheltered from the carnage and trauma of this war. The medical personnel at the hospital deal with this type of situation on a daily basis. Now I find myself following the news closely to see if any of my friends are victims of the next car bomb or IED. Everytime I hear about an IED or car bomb I get worried about the safety of my fellow combat stress soldiers that are located in the area. So far my unit has suffered no injuries or casualties and we hope to keep it that way.