|
KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (January 17, 2008) - Surrounded by
snow-covered mountains, the medical personnel of Task Force Saber
work side-by-side to provide a first-class, life-saving aid station
on Forward Operating Base Naray located in northeastern Afghanistan
along the Pakistan border.
The FOB Naray Aid Station team is composed of medical personnel
from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and the 160th Forward
Surgical Team. Their first responsibility is to the U.S. soldiers,
whether they are wounded in action, sick, or need routine
shots.
"The soldiers know that we are here for them, and that has given
me a lot of good feelings about being out here. It's a huge
privilege to be able to take care of U.S. soldiers," said Maj.
Warren Cusick, 41, from Mesa, Ariz., a certified registered
nurse-anesthetist and the officer-in-charge of the 160th FST.
"The main thing is for troops to have confidence and know when
they go to fight that they're going to be cared for if anything bad
happens to them. I used to be enlisted, and one thing that made me
feel confident was knowing I would get medical care," Cusick
said.
Even though the aid station is only a series of tents, the Task
Force Saber medical team delivers care day and night, as close to
the fight as possible.
"Our biggest challenge is ensuring that the U.S. personnel are
taken care of when they get wounded in battle, and that is what
we're always training for," said Capt. Scott M. Harrington, 31,
from Daytona Beach, Fla., a family doctor assigned to Charlie
Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion.
"In a big battle, we could have 10 or 20 soldiers come at one
time, and that's happened before. We handled it appropriately, we
got everybody out, and we saved their lives," he said.
"I am much more emotionally invested out here because I'm among
friends. It's very scary when we know the guys are in harm's way,"
Harrington said. "Every time somebody goes out, one of our medics
from the aid station go with the line units. Whenever they go on
convoys, one of our medics goes out with them."
The Naray aid station does much more than provide medical care
for American soldiers. The doctors and nurses also provide medical
treatment to many Afghans, Afghan National Security Forces, and
when the need arises, the enemy.
"We have the best relationship with the aid station, they help
us all the time," said Afghan National Army Capt. Amanullah, 36, a
general-internal doctor assigned to the 3rd Kandak, 3rd Brigade,
201st Corps. "When our soldiers are sick, first, we treat them. We
try to cure them by ourselves. If we are unable to cure them, we
take them to the aid station, and the good doctors help us. We have
a very good relationship with the surgeons."
"I was worried and nervous about being treated by U.S. doctors,
not knowing what to expect, but after arriving at the aid station
and seeing how nice and kind everyone there was, I was okay," said
Afghan Soldier Sherin Beg, 22, a medic assigned to 3rd Kandak, 3rd
Brigade, 201st Corps. "Within an hour after arriving, I was asleep
on the operating table having my appendix removed. The next thing,
I was awake and it was all over."
The majority of people in need of medical care at the aid
station have turned out to be Afghan. Mostly by word of mouth, the
doctors and medics are gaining the trust of the local people and
building a reputation for their compassionate and respectful
medical treatment.
"Since we've been deployed, from May of 2007, the [aid station]
has seen 5,400 local nationals in our five clinics throughout the
upper Kunar province," said Harrington. "We see many children,
adults, and fewer women, but every day we're seeing more of the
local nationals and more of their women because they're feeling
more comfortable with us."
An Afghan named Ramdad from the nearby village of Juba is one of
the 5,400 people pleased with the services provided by the Soldiers
at the Saber run aid stations. Ramdad first went to the coalition
forces hospital three months ago after his daughter was burned.
"I was not sure the doctors were going to take her, but they
treated my daughter, and the doctors did a good job," Ramdad said.
"I was very happy, and because of that I brought my 3-year-old son,
who is sick with pneumonia, in for help. We are happy with the
American doctors taking care of our people because we are poor
people, we are not able to take our sick family members out of the
country, and it's helpful for us."
The doctors and medics working at the FOB Naray Aid Station are
highly trained, dedicated professionals, who work to provide
excellent medical care to all.
"Being out here providing the care that I've been trained to do
is why I joined the Army. I get to wake up every day and know that
I am doing the right thing," Harrington said.
|
