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.