Happy birthday to our Warriors celebrating November birthdays: FTCS Almanza, LCDR Payne, SK2 Ballard, LTJG Smart, LT Buchanan, HMC Smith, YNC Lazo, LCDR Griswold, HM2 Siegert, YN2 Collins, HN Alinsunurin, HM1 Phetkhamyath, HM1 Aponteblanco, LT Grajeda, HM2 Bestoguey, HM3 Keeling, HM3 Warren, IT2 Flash, HM3 Roll, and HN Bigley. My thanks to the MWR committee for putting on great monthly celebrations that link our EMFK Warrior’s birthdays to events from our rich naval history. The ceremony serves to recognize those who are here today having a birthday, along with reinforcing our awareness that we are part of something bigger than each of us individually, and that our heritage forms the base of what we create today. BZ MWR!
CMC Murray and I just returned from a trip to Afghanistan, specifically Kandahar and Camp Bastion. While medically things were relatively slow at both locations, they were all working hard to prepare for the next campaign, the next mass casualty, and to improve their current working situation. In fact, they are working just as we are to be constantly ready to take care of that next Warrior that is rolled into our casrec. At Kandahar, LCDR Schuette is doing amazing things providing anesthesia care for critically injured patients, and has grown significantly in both his professional skills and personal qualities. He is an integral member of the Kandahar team; your extra work here to cover for him on the front line is definitely worth it. And by the way, the CMC and I learned, first hand, how to eat UNDER A TABLE during a mortar attack on the base. While we were eating chow (Scroff is what the Brits call it), the incoming attack warning sounded. Everyone in the DFAC hit the deck, and as we looked over the Brits had grabbed their trays and put them on the floor with them, and continued to eat as the mortar’s hit the far side of the base. That’s getting your priorities straight.
At Bastion we met up with HM3 Dressel and CDR Birdsong; both are creating great results. HM3 Dressel has been there for ~3 months, is considered one of their best OR techs, and is involved in many of the major trauma cases. He loves every minute of it. CDR Birdsong has been there a couple of weeks, is becoming an accomplished scrub nurse (well outside her comfort zone), and has hit the deck running. The British hospital at Bastion is fairly new, and not unlike what we have here at Arifjan, although better set up for trauma. They live in crowded tents, sleep on cots, and only have mosquito netting to separate them from the warrior next to them. Also, they eat British food, which if you’ve never tasted it, is about as bland as you can get—just imagine blood sausage and stewed tomatoes for breakfast.
Bottom line, our guys that we have sent forward are doing great things on the front lines. EMFK staff at the camps and at AJ are doing great things for our local Warriors (to include some very sick trauma and medical patients we’ve saved in the last few weeks). Your assumption of additional duties enables our shipmates to support the warfighters forward and to make a difference in saving lives on the front line. Your extremely professional and skillful work here is saving lives, returning warriors to the fight, and improving our living and working conditions each and every day.
Well done warriors.
R, CO
CMC Murray and I just returned from a trip to Afghanistan, specifically Kandahar and Camp Bastion. While medically things were relatively slow at both locations, they were all working hard to prepare for the next campaign, the next mass casualty, and to improve their current working situation. In fact, they are working just as we are to be constantly ready to take care of that next Warrior that is rolled into our casrec. At Kandahar, LCDR Schuette is doing amazing things providing anesthesia care for critically injured patients, and has grown significantly in both his professional skills and personal qualities. He is an integral member of the Kandahar team; your extra work here to cover for him on the front line is definitely worth it. And by the way, the CMC and I learned, first hand, how to eat UNDER A TABLE during a mortar attack on the base. While we were eating chow (Scroff is what the Brits call it), the incoming attack warning sounded. Everyone in the DFAC hit the deck, and as we looked over the Brits had grabbed their trays and put them on the floor with them, and continued to eat as the mortar’s hit the far side of the base. That’s getting your priorities straight.
At Bastion we met up with HM3 Dressel and CDR Birdsong; both are creating great results. HM3 Dressel has been there for ~3 months, is considered one of their best OR techs, and is involved in many of the major trauma cases. He loves every minute of it. CDR Birdsong has been there a couple of weeks, is becoming an accomplished scrub nurse (well outside her comfort zone), and has hit the deck running. The British hospital at Bastion is fairly new, and not unlike what we have here at Arifjan, although better set up for trauma. They live in crowded tents, sleep on cots, and only have mosquito netting to separate them from the warrior next to them. Also, they eat British food, which if you’ve never tasted it, is about as bland as you can get—just imagine blood sausage and stewed tomatoes for breakfast.
Bottom line, our guys that we have sent forward are doing great things on the front lines. EMFK staff at the camps and at AJ are doing great things for our local Warriors (to include some very sick trauma and medical patients we’ve saved in the last few weeks). Your assumption of additional duties enables our shipmates to support the warfighters forward and to make a difference in saving lives on the front line. Your extremely professional and skillful work here is saving lives, returning warriors to the fight, and improving our living and working conditions each and every day.
Well done warriors.
R, CO
