Iraq Front Line ER:AF Theater Hospital Balad

[island doc]

As I write this post, I am watching on Discovery Health Channel an hour long documentary on the AF Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq.

As critical as I have been of AF/military medicine in this forum, I have to say that I have been very impressed by what I have seen profiled here. The deployed medical professionals at work there are doing an outstanding job caring for the injured young men and women at war in Iraq.

This program has followed several warriors from the time of their injuries and airlift to the Balad ER, through surgery and stabilization in Balad, CCATT airlift to Landstuhl, airlift to Walter Reed, reunion with families there, and finally transfer to civilian hospitals near their homes.

The true heroes however are the patients.

This illustrates the fact that military medicine is very good at what it is really designed to do, that is provide combat medical care, peacetime routine medical care is anothing thing however.

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[AFSmiley]

As I write this post, I am watching on Discovery Health Channel an hour long documentary on the AF Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq.

As critical as I have been of AF/military medicine in this forum, I have to say that I have been very impressed by what I have seen profiled here. The deployed medical professionals at work there are doing an outstanding job caring for the injured young men and women at war in Iraq.

This program has followed several warriors from the time of their injuries and airlift to the Balad ER, through surgery and stabilization in Balad, CCATT airlift to Landstuhl, airlift to Walter Reed, reunion with families there, and finally transfer to civilian hospitals near their homes.

The true heroes however are the patients.

This illustrates the fact that military medicine is very good at what it is really designed to do, that is provide combat medical care, peacetime routine medical care is anothing thing however.

Taking care of those heroes is exactly the sort of honor I believe military medicine can provide. Despite the well described failures, low pay, and never ending frustrations, I can't think of a better way to spend a few years on this planet.