The Canadians Are Leaving:(!

The Canadians are leaving this month. They are not leaving Afghanistan, but are moving their resources to another area. It is strange being able to have a celebration in a TGIF’s in Afghanistan. Outside, on the Boardwalk, it is not your usual TGIF’s. But inside, you would never know you were thousands of miles from the US, if it were not for the NA beer and “virgin” drinks served at the “bar” and with dinner (oh yeah, and the fact that almost everyone is ARMED). Pictured is my trauma team, including the former leader, Doug, an active duty Canadian ER doc and our active duty Canadian nurse, Tammy. They will both be sorely missed by the rest of us.

Reality hit hard a few days ago. A young soldier, barely out of his teens, came in to the trauma bay with a gunshot wound to his chest, just outside the protection of his vest. Despite heroic attempts by six physicians as well as multiple nurses and corpsmen, we were unable to save his life. My first “dignified transfer,” which is the name given to the ceremony as we transfer a fallen soldier out of the hospital to the flight line, was an experience I will never forget. To see over 50 people from throughout the hospital come down and line the hallway from the trauma bay to the door leading to the flight line to pay their respect for the fallen warrior was awe inspiring. It is hard to stand at attention as the flag draped soldier goes by and keep focused with tears welling up in your eyes.

As is the modus operandi in any ER, however, our team had to focus and get right back to the job at hand and prepare for the next patient coming in….