Life at Bagram

Air Force Nurse Kirsten V., a family friend, recently sent this reflection on her recent deployment to the Bagram Air Field Base Hospital…

Now that you know where I am, you are bound to hear about Bagram and Kabul on the news. I’ll pass on one word of caution that was passed on to each of us. Please do not focus day and night about the local news, the tragedy, the injuries, the lives lost. Freedom is not free, but worry day and night is not healthy. We are each here by free will, to serve an inner calling, to provide the skill we each bring to this war of injustice and peace-building.  BAF itself is very safe, but of course not entirely protected from harm’s way. We are reminded daily of the reality of our environment, but overall we are all happy to be here, be contributing to a higher calling, and of course looking forward to the day we are reunited with our families.... Read more here

Air Force Nurse Kirsten V., a family friend, recently sent this reflection on her recent deployment to the Bagram Air Field Base Hospital…

A Nurse in Afghanistan

I’m keeping busy at work, obtaining great nursing experience on our Intensive Care Ward. It is a step down from the Intensive Care Unit, but a huge step up from most hospital inpatient units in the States. I care for patients with tracheostomies (artificial airways in their neck), amputations, fractures with and without external fixators (metal rods sticking out from their bones), burns, including airway inhalation, head injuries, eye injuries. We also get medical conditions such as cysts, appendectomies, seizures, combat stress-related issues etc.... Read more here

Beth Reece, a former Army writer, now works at the Defense Logistics Agency public affairs office. She recently was recognized for writing the best feature article in the Defense Department in 2008. Beth’s gift is telling behind-the-scenes stories of unsung heroes.

She wrote about a former Nazi POW who then joined the same Army that had liberated him from a concentration camp, and went on to serve in Korea. She told the story of the “flag ladies” who sit in the flag room at the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia, patiently embroidering the flags used by the President and Vice President.

Reece has learned the value of telling a good story, crafting a tale that everyone can relate to.
A hero doesn’t have to wear a red cape or have amazing super powers. One definition: a person who has shown distinguished courage or ability, admired for brave deeds and noble qualities. ... Read more here

Recently I interviewed Chaplain (Captain) Timothy Meier over the phone as he serves in Iraq. He is a Roman Catholic priest, a Jesuit, who is originally from the Detroit area.

Father Meier has spent a lot of time in school. In addition to his theological training, he holds a doctorate in Molecular Neuro Biology and works with the Undergraduate Biology Honors program at Stanford University. He helps out with local Catholic parishes and for the past couple of years has served with the California Army National Guard. That is what brought him to Iraq.
It’s clear to me that Fr. Meier is a dedicated man who takes his calling seriously, all the while appreciating others around him. He spoke so highly of his chaplain assistant, SFC McGee, as they together form a pastoral team to visit often neglected troops “outside the wire.”... Read more here

Summer in DC means hot, humid days and thunderstorms at night. Yesterday was no exception.

Just before dinner, lightning hit a large white pine in my backyard, splitting the trunk and shattering it into many pieces. The top of the tree twisted and tore off, landing on the ground near the still-standing trunk. The power of the bolt hitting the tree broke off another piece, about four feet high, and thicker than a woodsman’s arm, driving it straight into the ground nearby. So deeply embedded, it didn’t budge when we tried to pull it out.  Mother Nature’s power at work!... Read more here