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Surgeon Soldier in Iraq – Part 9: Motivations

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Letter dated 8/31/11

Greetings from Leitner,

Tumultuous last few weeks.  My replacement was supposed to arrive during the first week of September.  Not sure what happened, but he was a no show for his pre deployment training at Fort Benning.  I did not realize it was optional…So this caused a bit of anxiety.  The unit commanders here had nothing to offer, and were not sure whether or not the reserves would find someone to replace me or not.  I called my boss in the states, the General Surgery Consultant to the Surgeon General.  I explained the situation, and he has come to the rescue.  Someone will be here to replace me.

A new group of Docs arrived here today, and the group that I was originally scheduled to depart with is taking off for home soon. They are an excited bunch, and a very interesting group.

Dr. Davis is a 59 yo Anesthesiologist from Atlanta.  He has two sons in their thirties that are doing well and living their lives. This is his fourth deployment, and yesterday he was given an award for a great score on his Physical Training test.  He ran his two miles in just under 15minutes and maxed his pushups and situps, pretty impressive for an old man.  He and I drink coffee together on our shared front porch every morning at 6am.  This morning I was asking him how he came to be in the Reserves and deployed so many times.  I know that he travels all over the country playing Polo and has in fact played several times at Point Clear.  He is a pilot and owns an airplane.  He has a house in Canada and owns almost all of the property around the lake that the house was built on.  I have the impression that he comes from lots of money, but not through any odd or pretentious behavior on his part.

This morning he told me that after 9/11 he realized that he had been given so much.  He said that he had everything that he had ever wanted.  He told me that he felt like he had never given anything in return.  He immediately joined the reserves ten yrs ago with no prior military experience, and has now deployed four times.  He said that even if he deployed ten more times he could not make up for or repay the opportunities being an American has provided.  It is hard to believe and inspiring to realize people like that exist.

Most of the people I deployed with in 2008 were like me, repaying an obligation.  We all had young families and were doing our best to stay positive and make the most of the situation.  All of the docs on this deployment are significantly older than myself, and all have freely chosen to participate and give.  None are under any obligation and most are losing money from their practices while they are here.  Two of them have sons that are deployed currently with combat units in Iraq doing the real work.  It humbles you and makes you re evaluate your priorities and perspective.
Hopefully the new guys are as great as this group.

Clinically things have been quiet.  I have admitted a number of patients with kidney stones.  I have evaluated a lot of soldiers exposed to IEDs but none injured.  This is sort of a new deal.  If a soldier is within 50 meters of a blast their commanders send them into the ED for a cognitive evaluation.

Last Saturday I was on call and evaluated 12 young soldiers that were just involved in an IED. None were hurt but all were a little shaken up.  None of them were older than 23yo and all had been exposed to IEDs multiple times during this deployment.  Their vehicles (mrap) are amazing in preventing terrible injuries from IEDs.  I am glad that I have not been busy and hope that this trend continues.

I love and miss yall.

e

Surgeon Soldier in Iraq – Series Homepage



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