MEDEVAC III - Ft. Benning

Saturday 28 July
1430

Well, I’m back at Ft. Benning, Georgia. This was my mobilization site, so this is where they sent me back to get processed for further treatment. Getting here was quite an ordeal.

We started off on Thursday morning in Germany. We got up early (0400), cleared the MTD (Medical Transition Detachment), and got our itineraries for travel along with instructions on what to do when we got to our individual destinations. Then we got on a bus for Frankfurt airport, which was about a two hour drive away. They dropped us off at the airport and from there we were on our own.

Frankfurt Airport was bedlam. It was extremely crowded, and the security arrangements made it even more confusing. The airport is the most compartmentalized and restrictive one I have ever seen. They have multiple layers of security, so I was checked several times, and each time I could not return to the places I had been before. Even the individual loading gate waiting areas were fenced off and controlled, so you could not wait there until just before your flight began to load. Since I was there several hours before my flight was scheduled to leave, this made it difficult to find someplace to hang out until my flight. There was no such thing as a quiet corner – throngs of people were everywhere, and the noise level was amazing. Every available seat in every waiting area and restaurant was filled, and people lined most of the walls, sitting on the floor, waiting.

I finally found a place to sit and wait, and spent a couple of hours reading my book. Then I got on my flight. The first leg was to Dulles International in Washington, DC. I’m not sure how long the flight was because I set my watch to Eastern time as soon as I got on the plane, but it was several hours, anyway. The flight itself was fine. I watched a couple of movies, read my book, and slept a little. It was when we got on the ground at Dulles that the real fun began.

First we had to get through U.S. Customs. That involved standing in a long line for a long time, but was easy once we got there. Then we had to go and retrieve our checked bags so we could take *them* through customs and re-check them for the connecting flight. *That* process was a complete nightmare. It was in a long open room with four baggage conveyers (two on each side. At the far end of the room was the customs desk where you gave your bag over to the baggage handlers and went through airport security (TSA this time – I guess the German Bundesgrenzschutz isn’t thorough enough for them).

There were several problems with this setup. First of all there was the typical crowded milling around the conveyors as people searched for their bags, jockeyed for position with carts, and piled bags everywhere. For another, there was no holding area for people to line up to get through security – it was right at the end of the room. So as they got backed up, the line extended right through the middle of the baggage claim area. So as new people were pushing in trying to get to the conveyors where their flight’s bags were coming in, other people who had their bags already were pushing back the other way trying to get to the end of the line for security. And of course other people who either didn’t get it (or didn’t care) would try to cut into the line once they had their bags. The third problem was that several large flights came in all at once. One of the attendants there called it “rush hour” and says it happens at that time quite regularly. And finally, our own flight was *very* slow to get our bags on the conveyor, so we were there quite awhile before our bags started coming out at all.

It really was a complete (insert age-appropriate slang for “messed up situation” here). I thought it was a disgraceful display of poor planning and disorganization, especially for the main airport of our Nation's capitol.

So we struggled and coped and worked together to get our bags and get them on a cart and in line. (I say “we” because there were three of us who were all headed for Ft. Benning. Two of us worked together to help each other. The third guy was a kind of strange, standoffish Major who wouldn’t say more than about three words in a row and only seemed interested in taking care of himself. Sort of surprised me, but maybe he had “issues”. I don’t know, but we eventually just left him behind. Meanwhile the two of us stuck together and got our stuff into line.

We waited and waited as the line crawled up. While we were in line both the boarding time and the departure time of our connecting flight to Atlanta came and went. So we knew that we were in for an interesting evening. When we finally got through security and made it to the United desk (never, *ever* fly United!), it turned out that the only other flight that evening was at 10 PM, and was full. So we could go on standby or else fly out in the morning. It was about 5 PM by this time, and I had been up since 0400 (including setting my watch back six hours to account for the time change). There was no way that I was going to wait around until 2200 for a flight that I *might* get on, with a 2 hour ride to FT. Benning at the end of it.

The other soldier I was with had less experience with missed flights, baggage, hotels, and so forth than I did, so I sort of drove the train. I knew that we were on travel orders and that our overnight stay would be reimbursable when we filed our travel vouchers. So we went to the USO at the airport, had a snack, and checked on local hotels. It turned out they had a service member’s discount on several hotels. I chose the Hyatt as the most likely to be the best of the bunch, and we made reservations and took the shuttle there. We checked in and went to our rooms having arranged to meet in the morning.

My room turned out to be *very* nice. It was a king-sized mini-suite with a little sitting room area. I had a shower, ordered room service, and relaxed. It was wonderful finally to have some peace, quiet, and privacy. I fell asleep at about 9:30 PM and slept quite soundly until morning.

I got up early, packed, and met my partner downstairs. I picked up a Wall Street Journal, had a muffin and a cup of coffee, and we caught the airport shuttle. After a few missteps getting documents that TSA would recognize as boarding passes, we made it through security and waited for our flight. It was a small commuter jet, but the flight was not bad. Picking up our checked baggage from the night before in Atlanta was uneventful (thank goodness).

My traveling companion’s mother met us at the airport with his pickup truck and we drove to Ft. Benning. It was my good fortune that he is from the area and knew his way around, so we didn’t have to mess around with finding our way. We got to Martin Army Community Hospital about 1230 and checked in at the Emergency Room as directed. Then it was back to “hurry up and wait”

By the time people were back from lunch and they located the MOD (Medical Officer of the Day) to come see us, it was well after 1500. I had him deal with the other guy first because a) he was lower ranking and that’s what you do – take care of people and b) his mother was waiting to either take him home or drive his truck back, whichever. So by the time it was my turn it was nearly 1600.

You can imagine that we didn’t get much done at 1600 on a Friday. I have an appointment Tuesday morning to see a doctor. There is a whole process to go through, no shortcuts, and they don’t work weekends. The particular surgeon is busy all day Monday and Tuesday is the first opening. So there I was. Between now and then I would be on my own with nothing to do.

Well, not quite *nothing*. First I had to get processed in to the whatever-three- letter-acronym-they-have-for-this-place-now – it used to be MRC (Medical Retention Center) and that’s what’s on all the signs, but now I think they said it’s called the WTU (Warrior Transition Unit). If I get time I’ll have to check on that with the ACD (Acronym Control Detachment). :-)

Somebody picked me up and took me over there, and I got checked in, sort of. They did get me a room (actually a whole house) and they gave me some basic information, and then there I was. I commented that it seemed odd that they didn’t have some kind of orientation sheet or packet so I could at least have some information about Ft. Benning. They told me I’d get that on Monday when I processed in. I suggested that it might be appropriate to give me one now, since I was going to be on my own all weekend, and so they went over and got me one. Sad to say, most of them seemed pretty intent on getting out for the weekend. I guess they figured once they had me accounted for and under a roof with a set of linens, that was enough until Monday.

My quarters are interesting. Apparently the BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters) was condemned and the new ones aren’t ready yet. So I am being housed in a three-bedroom row house which I believe used to be family housing at one time. Normally they put three people in each of these (senior NCOs or junior officers), but their guidance is that FGOs (Field Grade Officers, i.e. me) do not share quarters with anyone, so I get a whole house to myself. RHIP, at least sometimes.

So I signed for this house. Table, chairs, couch, bed, dresser, nightstand, stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer, and phone. But that’s it. No rugs, decorations, pots, plans, utensils, or anything at all. It’s completely empty and bare. Very strange. It’s a good thing that I packed my own towels!

I went to the PX and bought some cereal and milk as well as some tea (Tazo Chai). Fortunately I thought to bring my immersion heater and thermal mug so I can heat water. I already had a plastic spoon, and I bought one of those individual servings of cereal so I could keep the container and use it as a bowl. Had a pizza for dinner (just didn’t feel like a bus ride to the mess hall), and then came back to my quarters to relax for the evening.

So that’s it. Here I am, awaiting my appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday to find out what happens next.

On Monday I plan to see if I can find a reserve unit here someplace and get my personnel file updated. One of the great contributors to my stress level while preparing to leave Kuwait was the fact that I have a promotion board coming up, and the deadline for document submission is 27 August. I thought I had time to deal with it, but suddenly I didn’t. I spent a couple of days trying pretty hard to get it updated there, but here just wasn’t sufficient time so I decided to wait and try to do it here if I had some down time during this process. Now that I do, that is my plan. Between now and Monday, I plan to spend a lot of time at the internet café. I’ll rent a movie or two, read my book, and just relax.

Right now it’s well past lunch time, but I can’t leave just yet. I am walking around the house in civilian clothes and a wet beret. I left my beret behind when I deployed (we don’t wear them in theater), so I had to draw a new one since that is the uniform in CONUS. You can’t wear them right out of the package – they take some preparation. First of all you have get a smaller size that *barely* fits. Then you put on the rank insignia, take out the little tie band they have in it, put it on and take a hot shower in it, getting it thoroughly soaked. Then you mold it to your head and walk around until it’s dry. After that you have to shave off the fuzz. Then you are ready to wear the Army’s latest totally useless headgear. I have no idea why they make us walk around with a sponge on our head, but my nephew once told me that it “looks cool” so maybe that’s justification enough. :-)

Music: Nena – Willst Du Mit Mir Gehn
Mood: Resigned to three days of stasis

MEDEVAC II - Kaiserslautern

Tuesday 24 July
2230

Today I finished processing and am now awaiting transportation to CONUS. I have to go in tomorrow to check in with the air transport people and find out about my specific flight information. I know I am going to Ft. Benning, but do not know anything further than that. Other than that and clearing the billets, I am done.

So far I have written almost exclusively about the military aspects of this process, but there is another aspect of it that is really cool – I am in Germany! I certainly never expected to find myself here during this mobilization, but since I am here I am enjoying it to the extent possible.

I started out speaking a few words here and there to bus drivers and other service personnel. It felt strange, but not for long. After a few tries, the words started rolling off my tongue again, and long-lost vocabulary began to surface. It is really refreshing just to be here. Part of the effect is green trees, grass, fog, cool evenings, etc. But a large part of it is seeing and hearing German everywere. I had sort of lost track of just how much I loved it here, and how at home I feel. Within 24 hours I was chattering away with our bus driver, understanding nearly everything he said and finding it quite easy to express myself as well.

I have had plenty of opportunity to get to know the bus driver – things are pretty spread out here so we ride the bus everywhere. I am staying on one kaserne, the hospital complex is on another, and the main PXes are on a third and fourth. Most of the US Army installations in Germany were this way – spread out on small kasernes rather than large bases like they are in CONUS. A kaserne a smallish military post anywhere from the size of a large high school campus to a suburban neighborhood. Most (if not all) of them were taken over from the German Army after WWII. They are typically enclose by fences or walls, and have lots of cool old buildings on them. The one I am on dates from at least pre- World War I, as did the kaserne I was stationed on in Hanau in the 1980s.

Kaserne Building

One of the things I talked with the bus driver about was where to go if I got a chance, and he told me. So when I finished my processing yesterday and had some free time, I got an off-post pass, put on civilian clothes, and headed downtown. I rode the bus (German civilian bus this time) and got off at the Rathaus (Town Hall). Then I walked back a couple blocks as he had suggested, and found myself in the Fussgangerzone (pedestrian district). This comprises several blocks of typical German city streets with little shops, old buildings, churches, etc. It was really nice to be there.

Around one of the very first corners I turned was a “Hannen Fass”, the same restaurant/bar I used to hang out in in Hanau 25 years ago. I guess it must be a chain or a franchise. In any case I sat down and had a Hannen Alt beer, and enjoyed it immensely.

I walked around, just window shopping, listening to people, and generally enjoying being there. I found some German rock CD’s in a couple record stores, including Nena, BAP, Ideal, and the soundtrack from the movie Lola Rennt (“Run Lola Run"). No Rodgau Monotones, though! I am importing these into iTunes as I write this, so I can enjoy them on the way back.

Then I stopped in a hat shop to see about replacing my beloved (but not immortal) Forstmeister cap that I love to wear in the winter. It has done yeoman service but is getting a bit worn. Unfortunately the shop didn’t have one in my size, but the owner took my name and email address, and said she’d order one for me and send it with a bill. I didn’t even ask her for this - it was very nice of her to offer. I suspect it had to do with the fact that I was able to speak to her in her own language. I often noticed the last time around that I got treated quite differently once people realized that I spoke German.

After walking around for awhile I decided it was time for dinner. I had seen a restaurant that looked kind of cool, and had Pfalzische food on their menu, so I went there. It turned out to be really neat. It was called the Spinradl (spinning wheel). The building is the oldest Fachwerk (wood framework with masonry filler) building still standing in Kaiserlautern, and was built in 1509.

Spinradl Restaurant

The outside was obviously very old, but the inside had been refinished and was very nice (although still in a traditional style). I decided to order the “Pfalzer Teller”, a sampler of local specialties from the Pfalz region. It came with three kinds of meat. The first was a Bratwurst, which requires no explanation. The second was a Leberknoedel, which was basically a meatball made of liverwurst. The third was a slice of Sauma, which they explained as being made of various parts of pork (Hackfleisch, which basically means chopped meat), mixed with some other ingredients of which I only recognized potatoes. It is pressed into a large roll and cooked. To serve it they cut slices off and grill them (fry them, more likely). It reminded me of SPAM more than anything else.

It was a very enjoyable meal, made more so by the fact that when I ordered a beer they served it in a traditional half liter stoneware mug (Stein or Krug) instead of a glass. When I think of German beer I think of drinking it out of beer Steins, but it’s actually served in glasses most of the time. So getting a ½ liter Krug with a big head of foam on it was just too perfect. :-)

After dinner I walked around a little more, and had an Eis (sherbet)- raspberry & chocolate, my favorite!. Then I took the bus back with the intention of working on a blog entry and importing my CDs to iTunes. Unfortunately the barracks is so loud that there is no place to work that has both an internet connection and anything even approaching silence. The place is awash in movies, TVs, and video players, and that is all everyone seems to do in their free time. So I ended up going to bed and leaving this until tomorrow.

Wednesday 25 July:

This morning I got up and went back to Landstuhl for my final processing. I got my movement orders, and visited the post office to mail home some excess clothing that I didn’t have room to pack (I *really* didn’t want to be dragging two duffel bags around with me). Then I went back to my room, packed my bags, and came back downtown to the Hannen Fass.

I just finished another Hannen Alt and a Rahmschnitzel (a breaded veal cutlet with some kind of sauce on it). It was very good. I also had a nice conversation with a young man who is here from Wurzburg, looking around the city to see if he wants to come here to the university.

The street is Steinstrasse (Stone Street), apparently because of this column covered with fragments of old marker stones. I remember finding stone like this in the woods, marking historical borders between different German states and principalities. Here are a few photos from around where I was sitting:

Street Scene from Hannen Fass

Marker Stones

The Wirtin here at the Hannen Fass is a different one than yesterday. This one has her hair dyed *exactly* the same color as Franka Potente did in “Lola Rennt”. I half expect her to take off running…. ;-)

It is very relaxing to sit here and sip my beer, listening to snatches of the conversations around me, and just sort of soaking up the atmosphere. It makes me think of all kinds of things. For one thing, it brings back a lot of memories of the years I lived in Germany before. I find myself thinking back to how happy I was then and how much I felt at home here, and wondering how it was that I let my life drift so far off course that I never came back here.

The ease with which I fell back into speaking German and the sense of belonging that I feel here have really got me thinking about whether it might be feasible for me to come back here and work somehow with the Army. There are still a lot of Americans here, and lots of opportunities to come here on tours, etc. I think that would be a very good possibility once I’m done in Kuwait. Of course there are lots of family questions to consider. I am the only one who would feel at home, at least right away - anyone who came with me would have a lot of adjusting to do. Nothing is ever simple!

Now I’ve ordered a Jaegermeister as an after dinner drink, and will sit here and sip it slowly, enjoying what remains of my afternoon. It’s only about 5 PM, but If I want to post this I’ll have to get back, because I still want to download my photos to the PC and post this entry. I have to get up early tomorrow to clear the barracks and catch the bus for my flight. (I sure wish I’d thought to bring the data cable with me so I could stay *here* and do the photos!).

I think when I go back I may use some of the last daylight hours to explore the cemetery across the street from the Kaserne. In Germany cemeteries are regarded quite differently than here. They are still treated with respect, but are used as parks to an extent that I don’t think is duplicated in the USA. They are not just big open fields full of graves, but are kept more like public gardens, with lots of trees, shrubbery, and walking paths. (To get a feel for this, watch the movie “Immortal Beloved”.) So I think that will be a nice last little taste of Germany – a walk in the park under a blue sky at the close of the day.

Cemetery

Music: Water falling in the fountain nearby
Mood: Happy

MEDEVAC

Monday 23 July
2230

MEDEVAC = Medical Evacuation, and that is what has happened to me.

For those of you who don’t know this yet, don’t be alarmed – it is neither serious nor permanent. I had a medical issue that needed to be addressed, and they do not have the capability to do it in theater. I fully expect to return to duty when it is taken care of, but I don’t know how long it will take.

I am almost old enough now to be in danger of becoming one of those old fogies who want to tell you all the details of their latest doctor visits and medical problems, so I will make a studied effort *not* to do that. Suffice it to say that this is a condition that runs in our family, and I have gone longer than anyone else I know before having it finally dealt with. So now it’s time.

The actual process of being evacuated was very interesting and impressive. It started out at the hospital on Camp Arifjan, which is run by the Navy. The front desk is called the "quarterdeck", the latrine is called the "head", all just like on a ship. It was kind of funny to hear after months on an Army base.

They took us to Ali Al-Salem Air Base on a bus (which they call a "bus"), and we came to the CASF (Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility). This is a little medical clinic run by the Air Force where we each got a folding cot and they took our vital signs, read our medical records, etc. This was a holding area for us until a MEDEVAC plane was ready to leave.

They did the normal security check for flying before we went in, so once we were in we could just get on the plane later.

In addition to all the medical stuff, they have showers and toiletries, a TV room, books, computers, food, etc. I read a book and slept.

I finished the novel I brought along and started one of two professional books I brought: Robert M. Utley's "Frontiersmen in Blue". It is the first of two volumes that discuss the Army's experiences fighting Indians. This volume covers 1848-1865, and "Frontier Regulars" covers 1866-1890. I first read about this book in the bibliography of "Imperial Grunts", the book that got me thinking about getting back into the Army. Many of the experiences of the Army fighting Indians are said to be extremely relevant to modern counterinsurgency warfare. It seems the Army has learned all these lessons before, but has to re-learn them each time we get into a new COIN operation.

It was hard to find since it's been out of print for awhile, but I found a set of almost-new copies at John King books in downtown Detroit. They told me that someone had just sold them a 400-volume library of military history books. I would have loved to see it all together, but they had dispersed it into their collection already.

I read a few pages awhile back just to get a feel for it, and it seems to be engagingly written. So I am looking forward to it as a combination of entertainment, history lesson, and professional development.

We were awakened well before 0-dark-thirty and told to report in an hour. I got up, had some breakfast, brushed my teeth etc and got ready. Then they had a ten minute briefing and told us to come back in 50 minutes. Typical military procedure – hurry up and wait! We finally got out of there 1 ½ hours later, and were driven out to the runway where the C-17 was waiting.
The C-17 is an enormous aircraft. It is a very large cargo plane, big enough to load a lot of cargo, several vehicles, or a whole helicopter inside. This one was carrying cargo on the way in, but was outfitted with litter racks for MEDEVAC. We waiting on the tarmac for quite some time while they messed with the cargo and refueled the plane (more hurry up and wait). Finally they gave us the signal to load, and we were taken on board.

C-17 On the Runway

C-17 with Fuel Line

Loading Patients

First most of the litter patients were loaded on board. Then the ambulatory patients (me included) walked up the cargo ramp and were seated in seats along the outside of the cargo bay. Finally they loaded the last litter patients from a different vehicle – these were the most serious cases. It was a sobering sight to see a soldier or marine with all kinds of medical equipment around him on his litter (oxygen tank, respiratory equipment, monitors, etc), and only one leg coming out from under the end of his blanket. As I watched the Air Force medical personnel around him, tears came to my eyes.

This was not only a reaction to the tragedy of a wounded young person who will have to live his life with one leg. It was also due to a feeling of pride and admiration for the people who make the system work and were taking care of him (and the rest of us).

I joke about “hurry up and wait” and the typical military inefficiency, but in this case the delays were due not to inefficiency but to the thoroughness of the process. It was an awe-inspiring and humbling process to go through. The first thing that struck me was the inter-service cooperation and uniformly high level of competence and professionalism exhibited by everyone with whom I came into contact. I started at a Navy Hospital in Kuwait, staged at an Air Force base, and watched a combination of Navy Hospital Corpsmen, Air Force medical personnel, and Army Medics work together seamlessly to ensure that everyone was taken care of. They left absolutely nothing to chance.

As I sat on this huge plane watching the medical people going through the various routines involved in getting us situated and getting the plane airborne, I was overcome with feelings of pride and gratitude. No other nation on Earth could build that aircraft, outfit it, put together a team of professionals like that, and send them halfway around the world with such organization and thoroughness. Never, at any time, did I feel the slightest sense of worry or apprehension. They were there to take care of us, and they did. They were so obviously expert at their jobs that it was almost like any other commercial passenger flight. Like the navy crewman in the movie “The Longest Day”, it gave me goose pimples just to be a part of it.

I felt for the litter patients, though. They had to be strapped in, and it cannot have been comfortable for them. The crew did everything they could to make them comfortable. They were there all the time, checking on them, helping them, even just holding their hands at times. Each patient also had an assigned attendant from their home unit to help them around. Those of us sitting nearby helped out with small things when needed, like adjusting a pillow or blanket. Watching them with their straps, bandages, monitors, and IVs made me feel like my little problem just didn’t amount to very much.

C-17 Medical Equipment and Supplies

More Medical Equipment

C-17 Cargo Bay

I had to laugh at one point about an episode that unfolded right in front of my eyes. One of the medics was having trouble with a piece of monitoring equipment that didn’t seem to be getting electrical power. Reflexively I reached for the ever-present electrical tester I keep in my pocket, but it wasn’t there! I had put it in my drawer before leaving, thinking “I won’t need that”. Wrong! I ended up helping them anyway, using my iPod. I put it on the charger, and by plugging it first into the outlet on the plane, and then into the extension cord, we determined that the fault was in the electrical cord on the piece of equipment. They got a new cord and it worked fine. But I was chagrined that my nifty little special purpose electrical tester was sitting in my desk drawer in Kuwait instead of in my pocket where it belonged. “Be Prepared” - you never know when you might need something!

The flight was uneventful, (unless you count landing in Iraq). We made a stop there to pick up some more patients, and I got to get out and stand on the ground for about ten minutes (They let people take a smoke break, so I hung out with the smokers for awhile). So I did actually get “Boots On Ground” in Iraq on this tour, albeit not in the way I’d expected.

Brad in Iraq

Once we landed in Germany, the process was equally smooth. We were organized into groups and put on busses based on our destinations. I was taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where we inprocessed prior to getting sent to our quarters on a nearby Kaserne.

Inprocessing included getting a meal (first), and then a briefing on their facilities and processes. They have a very complete orientation to the community and the facilities. They assign a liaison officer based on your service component, and explain how to go about finding your various appointments and how to check in at the control points in the process. After that they drove us to our barracks and got us billeted there. More briefings, rules, and regulations. I got assigned to a room (E7 and above are together in a room, although it’s the same as all the others – 12 to a room), drew linens and a blanket, and was released.

They do have wireless internet in the building, so I was able to get online, although I kept getting kicked off. I moved around from place to place until I found a reasonable spot, but by then it was almost time to go to bed.

Getting to sleep was quite a trick. I was assigned to the bottom bunk. When I got there someone was already in it. I decided not to make a fuss since I didn’t expect to be here long, and just took the top bunk. That means I can’t reach anything or get up and down easily, but oh well. I had a hard time getting to sleep because the lights were on and someone kept snoring. I will have to use the same tricks I did last summer in Korea, and use a blindfold and my iPod to sleep.

Once they explain the process you are pretty much on your own. There is an accountability formation in the morning, and you take the bus to the hospital in Landstuhl. As I walked around the building I kept seeing familiar faces of people who I traveled here with. But we each have our own issues and our own places to go within the facility. People get processed based on their medical needs, and may be here anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

My own process was pretty straightforward. I got up this morning and went to formation, and rode the bus to the hospital. After breakfast I went to my appointment. It took a long time to get in (what doctor’s office doesn’t?). But once we had a chance to talk and he went over my condition, he recommended that I should return to CONUS for surgery. It was too late to complete the process today, so I will go back tomorrow and finish up, and will be on a plane sometime later this week. I don’t know yet where I will go, not how long it will take. But I will add more later when I know more.

There are a couple of additional wrinkles to the process that are pretty cool. One is that they really take care of your needs while you are here. Since many people arrive here straight off the battlefield, they are geared up to provide *everything* that anyone might need. I literally didn’t need to bring anything at all along except my ID card. They issued a set of uniforms (including PT uniforms), as well as toiletries and personal items as needed. In addition to this, they gave us a $250 voucher for the PX to buy civilian clothes, since these are required for commercial travel. After I was done at the hospital I took care of the uniform issue and went to the PX to get some clothes. There is also additional support available through the Chaplain channels, but I didn’t take advantage of those. But they really take care of us. As I see all these young guys walking around with various wounds and injuries, I can’t help but think of all the people back home anxiously wondering how they are and if they are ok. I wish I could give an adequate sense of just how well provided for we are, and how professional the care is. I hope each of these people has told his family and friends just how well our system works. I know I’m impressed, and can’t imagine people getting any better care than we have here.

I guess that’s enough for now. I’ll get this posted and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day, and I should find out more details about what happens next.

Music: Mid ‘70’s top 40 (at the club)
Mood: Relaxed