Soldier:
         Soldier Stuff - 9mm, Guarding a Road
         One Soldier - Never to Return
         Going "Outside the Wire"

9MM
At one station, one needed to shoot one round then put in another magazine and shoot again several times. You were supposed to put the second magazine somewhere within easy reach. Well I forgot where I put it and so when I found it most of the targets had come up and went down and I didn’t shoot anything except the first shot and missed. On the last station, one could literally walk up to the target and shoot at it. I got them all. I passed. It was while I was on the plane heading oversees thatI looked at my score. I was ecstatic and proud. Then I looked at the scoring system. On the round that I missed everything, my score said I shot them all. On the station that I walked to the targets, it said I missed them all. It was rigged for me to pass.Let’s face it. Did you really expect a medical officer not to go just because of not qualifying with a gun?

Guarding a road
This is definitely another military job that I will be doing — in what lifetime. How to hold-up your hand and tell a vehicle to stop while others have weapons pointed at them. Good luck. My hand in the air is going to stop a moving vehicle loaded with bombs and insurgents, who don’t care, will not stop and who will shoot me as they go by but with my hand still in the air asking them to stop.

One soldier - never to return
While reviewing one soldier's medical records, I noted how little medical information was present. I was told that this soldier had died from an improvised explosive device. My heart just dropped. I went outside, sat down and cried.
I held in my hands this soldier's medical record. Here was his name and his identification. But I knew nothing of this brave individual who gave his life. Then I thought about this soldier's family. Was he married, did he have kids. How was his family coping with his loss.
So many questions and yet I could not even see his face. All I knew was a name and number. All I could do was cry.

Outside the Wire
I was about to make my weekly trip to update the battalion commander, when a medic came in and said - IED with wounded - QRF. Quickly put on my body armor, holster with 9mm (magazines in pocket) and reached for my medical bag with medication to include morphine.
Into the FLA (ambulance) and rushed to the gate. Here we were met by four armored vehicles and one vehicle for taking care of the damaged vehicle. Out the gate we went. My adrenaline was flowing. No time to think about danger - the road we traveled has had many IED attacks. All I could think about was triage, airway, breathing and circulation. Basic Emergency Care. Not sure of how many wounded or degree of injury. Helicopter evacuation has been called.
Nearing the area we heard that the helicopter had picked up two wounded soldiers and was in transit back to the base. We arrived on the scene - so many soldiers covering the area, faces so young. There I met this young female medic who tended to the injured, cared for both soldiers. This medic saved those soldiers lives by her quick reaction, excellent care and more importantly her sense of caring for her wounded buddies. She did a great job - I thanked her. The damaged vehicle was semi protected with armor, if not, then all would have been lost.
A medic at the scene had mentioned to me that I was not locked and loaded. That's right, 'outside the wire', I am supposed to put bullets in the gun. Maybe next time.