Aid
Station Makes a Difference Along Border
Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:09:00
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Aid Station Makes a Difference Along Border By Spc. Gregory Argentieri,
USA
Special to American Forces Press Service
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| KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 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.
U.S. Army Spc. Melissa A. Hoffman, from
Avondale, Ariz., assigned to Charlie Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion,
prepares an Afghan mother to draw blood for testing Jan. 3, 2008, at FOB Naray
Aid Station in northeastern Afghanistan. The aid station has seen more than
5,400 locals since Task Force Saber took over in May 2007. (U.S. Army photo by
Spc. Gregory Argentieri)
(Click photo for
screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
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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.
(Editor's note: Spc. Gregory
Argentieri is assigned to 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team public affairs.)
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U.S. Army Capt. Scott M.
Harrington, a family doctor from Daytona Beach, Fla., assigned to Charlie
Company, 173rd Brigade Support Battalion, examines a baby girl, testing her
reflexes with help from members of the 160th Forward Surgical Team Jan. 3, 2008,
at FOB Naray Aid Station in northeastern Afghanistan. The infant's father said
she has been weak since birth, and the doctors are concerned the child may have
Cerebral Palsy. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Gregory Argentieri)
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: U.S. Army Maj. Warren Cusick,
from Mesa, Ariz., a certified registered nurse anesthetist and the
officer-in-charge of the 160th Forward Surgical Team, takes a moment to play
with an infant brought in for treatment Jan. 3, 2008, at the FOB Naray Aid
Station in northeastern Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Gregory
Argentieri)
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U.S. Army Sgt. Cody J. Vernon,
from Keystone Heights, Fla., with the 160th Forward Surgical Team, prepares an
Afghan stone mason to be medically evacuated to the Craig Joint Hospital on
Bagram Airfield for possible surgery Jan. 6, 2008, at FOB Naray Aid Station in
northeastern Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Gregory Argentieri)
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Comments
(I don't love it so much that I go when I don't need to) laughing
Hope you don't need to go to the doctor soon but...give him a call and ask him to SHARE!!!!! I'd love to hear some of his stories.