Afghanistan ER

“Hey Curmudge. I see that you received a note from Mack.”

“Right Jaded Julie. He copied me on an email sent to several of his friends here in the States.”

“I understand that he is a battalion surgeon in Afghanistan.”

“That’s his title. Actually he is an emergency medicine physician. Would you like me to read part of his note? Here it is:

‘Just wanted to say hi. Pretty exciting last several days. My medics and I have taken care of a lot of people, 49 traumas in 2 months. Mostly Afghanis, (Military and civilians including kids). Took care of a 5 year-old boy with gunshot wound to head, very serious, flew him out stable. We've saved a lot of lives. Yesterday I was on a patrol and we got ambushed and had half-hour firefight. No one of us hurt. The Kiowas (helicopters) came in to shoot them up. I played guitar in the chapel service last Sunday…’“

“One question, Curmudge. What was a board-certified physician doing on a patrol?”

“It must have been a slow day back at the battalion aid station. He undoubtedly left his PA in charge.”

“Curmudge, is there a lesson in this story?”

“I hope so, Julie. There in the midst of a war and a dusty, almost Biblical setting, they are achieving the basic goal of medicine everywhere. As Mack said, ‘We’ve saved a lot of lives.’”