Bruce's Deployment to Afghanistan

10:20:56 AM EST
Feeling Happy

Well, this is the end of the journey. After spending a week at Fort Benning, Georgia for reintegration I finally made it home back in Washington DC on Friday night. It has been a very rewarding experience and want to thank all of you for following the story. Your generosity of care packages and support has been overwhelming. This will be the final blog entry. For a recap of the year check out this story:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/16612369.htm

Picture Legend

Pic#1 Arrival at Lawson Airfield, Fort Benning, Georgia!

Pic#2 Me with MAJ Tim Adams

Pic#3 Welcome Back!

Pic#4 Sunrise just before landing back in the USA

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8:53:26 PM EST

Just a quick post to let everyone know I am on my way home. We had our transfer of authority and are now headed back to Georgia to turn in all our gear before headed home. Everyone is safe and sound and in high spirits! Keep on reading the blog!

Bruce

Picture Legend

Pic#1 The new Operating Room in Bagram!

Pic#2 The Chief Nurse, COL Wolgast

Pic#3 The Awards Ceremony with BG Tata

Pic#4 Awaiting transportation, along day!

Pic#5 The mountains of Kyrgyzstan

Pic#6 Once again, waiting for transportation

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10:33:37 PM EST

Two great things happened this week. First of all we got to open the Khowst Afghan-American Comprehensive Surgical Clinic, the “Brick Clinic”. This is a project we have been working on all year and was our Grande finale’. It is a postoperative facility where local national patients and their families can recuperate under the care of Afghan doctors inside the US base where we can be present to assist them. Second, was the Transfer of Authority Ceremony, the TOA between the 14th Combat Support Hospital, Salerno Detachment and the 396th Combat Support Hospital (Forward), the incoming unit Commanded by LTC Richard Phillips. It was a beautiful day and ceremony. One of my final official acts was to present the incoming Commander with a US flag flown over his hospital on the first day of his command. I left that day as I would have wanted it; I transported a critically ill patient to Bagram on a Black Hawk helicopter. My unit will follow behind me on a C-130 tomorrow.

Picture Legend

Pic#1 The unveiling of the “Brink Clinic” with the Director of Public Health, The Khowst Governor and the Provincial Reconstruction Team Commander

Pic#2 The inside of the “Brick Clinic”

Pic#3 My farewell remarks with Old Glory behind me

Pic#4 The 14th CSH (-) in Formation

Pic#5 The Casing of the Guidon with SFC Sanchez

Pic#6 LTC Rich Phillips receives his US flag

Pic#7 Me with my window seat on the UH-60 (Black Hawk) helicopter leaving Salerno

Pic#8 The Mountains of Afghanistan

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3:17:40 AM EST

The change over has begun. We received several Air Force personnel this week. One is a former student of mine from the Uniformed Services University, Captain Jason Bolt. The older I get the smaller the world becomes. It is very exciting to see him assume the role of a deployed nurse anesthetist. I have also been doing some last minute shopping buying hand knotted Afghan rugs for the house! The wonders of the Heavens continues to put on a good show as the Comet McNaught was visible for a few nights with clear western skies at dusk.

Picture Legend

Pic#1 The Uniformed Services University Alumni Association donates books!

Pic#2 My ride around the base; feel the wind thru your hair!

Pic#3 Khowst Grand Mosque as seen from Platoon Hill

Pic#4 Comet McNaught on 11 January 2007

Pic #5 Afghan Rug

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10:00:29 PM EST

Happy New Year everyone!!!  Wow, I have cross over the 365th day since I left home for this deployment. A year has gone by and so much has happened. Our New Year’s here was uneventful except for the usual burn victims at the front gate. As I have mentioned before fires in the home are common as burning of wood and kerosene lamps are primary means of heating, cooking and lighting. Accidents are common and tragedy ensues. We have had great support from people back home over the year with supplies, and we continue to receive packages daily! It makes my heart swell to be serving such great Americans back home!

Picture Legend

Pic#1 Governor of Khowst Province with his son who just had dental surgery! OUCH!

Pic#2 Full moon sets over Afghan mountains.

Pic#3 Chinook with the flag at half staff for President Gerald R. Ford.

Pic#4 Black Hawks and Apaches off for a night mission.

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6:22:33 AM EST
Hearing kd lang (Torch and Twang)

Christmas in a combat zone is very strange, but thankfully we have our Army Family that surrounds us all. It was a rainy day and we celebrated with a “White Elephant” gift exchange, the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and food. The best gift Santa brought was peace and quiet.

Picture Legend

Pic#1 Santa Arrived with Christmas Stockings for everyone. Thank you Chief Nurse and Assistant Chief Nurse at Bagram.

Pic#2 Detachment Sergeant gives out Sept 11th, 2006 flags to soldiers

Pic#3 A winter Snow-Princess

Pic#4 Santa’s Elves, Chaplain Tish and Captain Long

Pic#5 Check out Sergeant Papierniak’s new rank!

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4:10:25 AM EST
Hearing Variety of Christmas Music sent from friends of the University

This week has been a mixture of stormy weather followed by beautiful cool and clear days. The mountains continue to gather snow and are more beautiful by the day! We have also been very busy with Mail Call too. Everyone has been so generous and thoughtful to remember the troops that are away from home for the Holidays!  You all are great Americans – THANK YOU! A special “Thanks” to Betty Spurling this week!

I have also been paying particular attention to celestial objects as the sky has been quite remarkable. The Winter sky always seems better for viewing!  One particular object that is back in the sky is Venus. She was the “star” in the Dawn sky at the beginning of the Deployment and now she has re-emerged in the evening sky. It is only fitting for her to guide us home as our journey here is coming to a close. She also reminds me of a very special friend who I have missed very much!

Picture Legend

Pic#1 CPT Shelton and I sending Holiday Greetings back home!

Pic#2 Jupiter in the Dawn sky with the last phase of the moon!

Pic#3 The dawn of the Winter Solstice on 21 DEC 2006

Pic#4 The New Moon along with Venus in the evening Sky. She will be our guiding star home!

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11:34:03 PM EST
Feeling Chillin'
Hearing Hawaiian Christmas Tunes

Everyone has been great sending packages to me and SPC Ryan. Our arms have been full after mail call!!! Sunday was SPC Ryan’s 21st birthday so it was nice for him to have boxes to open!! We had a BBQ to celebrate the milestone.  I want to especially thank all the good people from Connecticut with connections to the Barton Family. Your generosity has been overwhelming. THANK YOU TO ALL AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! If you still want to send packages for the hospital send them to the address posted last week. We could use blankets and winter clothes.

Picture Legend

Pic#1 SPC Ryan’s (Texas) 21st birthday with PFC Cotch (New Jersey). It’s near beer – tastes like beer but without the buzz.

Pic#2 Me and SPC Ryan after mail call! Boxes of tooth brushes for the kids sent from friends in Chicago!

Pic#3 Bah Humbug! SFC Sanchez and I getting into the spirit of things!

Pic#4 Two planets over the dawn sky. Mercury and Jupiter!

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4:43:18 AM EST
Hearing Jonny Lang (Turn Around)

A rainy start to the week, but when the skies cleared – Oh! The Mountains are covered with fresh snow. They are spectacular. And the full moon setting over the mountain tops was a sight to see. We also had the “Rocket City Marathon” this Saturday. The hospital had a great turn out of relay runners.

Many of you have asked for the address to send supplies for the medical missions. Send them to:

Commander

Salerno Hospital

APO AE 09314

Here are some links to some recent article written about the Salerno Detachment.

http://www.cfc-a.centcom.mil/Freedom%20Watch/2006/11-November/20nov06.pdf

http://www.cfc-a.centcom.mil/Freedom%20Watch/2006/12-December/11dec06.pdf

http://www.blackanthem.com/News/U_S_Military_19/MEDCAP_Delivers_Supplies2543.shtml

Picture Legend

Pic#1 Our Journalist, I wanted you to see our heroine behind the camera

Pic#2 Moonset over the mountains

Pic#3 Fresh Snow-capped Tora Bora Range

Pic#4 The Marathon Runners

Pic#5 The Dawn of a New Day

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2:02:17 AM EST
Hearing Mozart

Well, I have been telling my staff “Never let your guard down” and today was an example of why I have been saying that. Suicide bombings are becoming more and more frequent here and this week we were quite busy because of civilian casualties caused by one.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/26/AR2006112600128_pf.html

The rest of the week was also busy as well. The locals are mixing gasoline with kerosene to supplement their heating fuel with explosive results. Now we are seeing a lot of burn victims, primarily children. The next few weeks are going to be tough.

However, there were also bright spots in the week. We had a promotion, and we also went on a Medical Mission to the village of Tani, which is about 10 kilometers southwest of Khowst. We have been their a few times before, however this time I insisted on seeing the children and women first. We sat around for an hour while the local men tried to call my bluff, and then finally the kids came to see us. We saw over 250 women and children thru our make-shift clinic. It was incredible!!!  Thank you to everyone who has donated supplies of vitamins, toothpaste and brushed. We had enough for EVERYONE!!! Special Thanks to Betty Spurling, Ann Okomoto, and Benny for their generous contributions.

Picture Legend

Pic#1 The female interpreters!  They’re fantastic!

Pic#2 Toothpaste anyone?  THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED!!!

Pic#3 The Chest of Vitamins!

Pic#4 The reason why we do the medical missions.

Pic#5 Mom helps with the medicine administration.

Pic #6 My Medical Team

Pic#7 SGT Payne’s promotion to Staff Sergeant, assisted by MAJs Sebesta and Vinson.

Pic#8 Our Christmas Tree, thanks to Dr. Renee Thai

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