Merry Christmas from Iraq

Well the holiday season is more than upon us, two days until Christmas. December went with the blink of an eye and it won't be long until the New Year. The mornings here carry a chill in the air as the temperature of this desert winter drops into the 30's at times. I actually enjoy the mornings with a sense of nostalgia as I breathe in the cold air through my nostrils and then exhale slowly to catch the sight of my breath in the air. This of course can't compare to the winters that I'm used to back in the midwest where I would be sitting out on the ice, fishing until I got bored or was too cold. This will be the first winter in my life without snow and without ice fishing.

So what will I be doing this Christmas? Working in the ER at Balad of course and hopefully enjoying some food at the DFAC. Maybe make some hot cocoa and reminisce of times past, or go caroling throughout the ER all day long.

Life here in Balad has been great. I like the work and the people I work with are quite enjoyable. For the Air Force medics it's their job here, for me on the other hand it's a vacation. I would gladly spend the rest of my tour up here but command is sending me back to my home base to go back on patrols with the rest of the unit.

Merry Christmas everyone,
Nick

N.B.- The picture above is of me suturing up a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

Greetings From Balad

I recruited some fellow Army to play a friendly game of football

vs.

the hosting Air Force ER team.

(me on the right)

Well I finally have good news.

I have been moved to Balad to work in the Air Force Trauma Hospital for a month. I have been here since the 4th and should be here for the remainder of the month. I have been put in the ER for the first half of the visit and so far things have been great.

I have seen and learned so much in the past ten days and I can't even begin to describe how great it is to finally do my job. Not only that but I have been able to pick up a huge wealth of knowledge from these Air Force folks on how they operate their hospitals. All the equipment is new to me so I have had to learn a whole new set of equipment but the basics are the same. In the Army I rarely have the opportunity such as this to work in a fully capable trauma center and see the traumas that we see here. Most of my work medically speaking has been in the field and so it's a little different to be on the receiving end as we get the patients from the choppers after they have already been worked on.

I will be here for the month so that would include Christmas as well. Although I didn't really come up here with anyone in my unit I have gotten close to the rest of the ER team and I am loving it. Although they only spend four months here I try not to give them too hard a time (I guess that's the Air Force for ya).

Alright folks, until next time,
Nick

Result of the football game: Air Force-42 to Army-35. It's a sad day.

Another Fallen Friend

It is with a sad heart that I write this post.

From the Associated Press, 5Dec2006:

MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota National Guard paid tribute to two soldiers from the same unit who were killed by a roadside bomb that injured two other member's of the Guard's contingent in Iraq.
Spec. Bryan T. McDonough, 22, of Maplewood, was driving and Spec. Corey J. Rystad, 20, of Red Lake Falls, was a passenger in the Humvee on patrol near Fallujah when the bomb went off Saturday.
Both men were assigned to B Company, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry, based in Crookston, and had deployed to Iraq in March.


Bryan was one of my dearest friend Sean's cousin. Sean is stationed with me here and we have know eachother since joining the guard. I first met his cousin in Camp Shelby, Mississippi where we were all mobilizing together. He was an outstanding guy and dedicated soldier.

Sean had been keeping tabs on Bryan since we have been over here and had always been worried about his safety. We knew that he was in the thick of the battle over here and it seemed liked Bryan was dodging danger day in and day out.

My condolences go out to Bryan's family and friends. I can't describe the heartbeaking feeling of knowing a soldier that has been lost here, let alone Sean's cousin Bryan.

Nick