Through the eyes of AF medics

Staff Sgt. Charles Berry, a medical technician, hangs whole blood products to be infused into a trauma patient. (U.S. Air Force photo)

By Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson
447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs

SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq -- The faces of Airman medics serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom are often the first, and sometimes the last, seen by those who are left hurt and bleeding by an enemy fighting against peace and freedom.

It’s these same medics who see the pain and suffering of the injured, and the skill, dedication and compassion of the doctors, nurses and other medical providers who try their best to put broken bodies back together.

For Staff Sergeants Charles Berry and Bobby Lawson, serving as medics for the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron has been an emotional roller coaster. Dedicated to crafting their medical skill, these medics deployed from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., have learned that the reality of war offers new challenges and lessons every day.

Working from a series of temper tents that sit mostly unnoticed near the flightline of the international airport here, a medic’s role in providing medical care can mean the difference between life and death.

Along a rough and pitted gravel road, a sign reads: “EMEDS” with an arrow pointing the way.

In front of the tents, another simple sign, this one white with a red cross, is what draws people to the 447 EMEDS.

Inside the EMEDS tent, it’s a whole different world; there are shelves stocked with medical supplies bordering brightly-lit treatment areas, X-ray capabilities, some laboratory services and even an operating room.

When a person suffering the physical trauma of war is brought in, the medics take action. “We could all be sitting there laughing and joking when suddenly a person with a life-threatening injury bangs through our front door,” said Capt. Stacy Carr, 447 EMEDS nurse. “At that point, we put emotions aside and focus on the task at hand—giving them a chance to survive with the best quality of life possible.”

Deployed from Andrews Air Force Base, M.D., Carr describes the medics as full of energy and vast knowledge. “I’m new to working trauma and intensive care so my anxieties ran high at times,” she said. “But with these medical technicians working by my side, I have the confidence to get the job done.”

One afternoon proved to be an example of how unpredictable events can be. Berry and Lawson were working at the patient check-in desk when an unusual noise, followed by shouting, drew them outside where they found a Bradley Fighting Vehicle carrying two wounded Soldiers. Within moments, the EMEDS team had the men inside and were assessing and treating them for blast injuries. Both Soldiers were successfully stabilized and ultimately made it to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, MD., where they are expected to recover.

While Lawson’s career plans never originally included joining the military, or becoming a medic, he has found his job to be very rewarding. “People look to us in their time of need,” he said. “What could be more rewarding than being there for someone and caring for them in that time of need? It’s an experience of a lifetime.”

When the injured can’t make it to EMEDS on their own, a complex system of medical airlift coordinates their evacuation to medical care.

Day and night Berry and Lawson, or one of the other medics, can be found headed out to the flightline in an ambulance to meet a medical evacuation helicopter bringing in the wounded.

Before the ambulance even starts the return trip to EMEDS, the medics are assessing and treating their patients.

Medical care here has included such a vast array of patients and injuries that there is no such thing as a textbook case. Injured American and coalition service members, contractors of countless nationalities, and Iraqi men, women and children have all passed through the EMEDS doors.

With deep brown eyes that reflect quiet confidence, Berry is not a tall man, or muscle-bound in any way. Better described as unimposing and lanky, he has a razor wit about him and moves with cat-like grace, untiring skill and fierce dedication when attending to his patients.

Physically a direct opposite to Berry, Lawson is tall and broad and sports a shaved head, making him look more like an action hero than the gentle giant, as his coworkers describe him. With a barrel chest and strong arms, he prefers to quietly go about his duties unnoticed.

Whether treating simple illnesses or the most devastating of combat injuries, the medics and EMEDS staff can handle one patient at a time or scramble to treat mass casualties simultaneously. A far cry from the typical patient setting in the medical facility at home, the medics are called upon to serve in almost every aspect of patient care.

“Here, it’s all about being ready for trauma,” Berry said. “Whether battle or non-battle injuries, when someone is hurt, the clock is ticking and it’s up to EMEDS to assess, stabilize, treat and medevac a patient to a higher echelon of care.”

To the doctors of EMEDS, the medics serve as an extra set of hands. “They have become experts at countless tasks, well beyond their original training or job description,” said Maj. (Dr.) Patrick Miller. “Surgical, biomedical equipment, immunizations, laboratory, even emergency generator maintenance—they have learned it all.”

With all of their combined training, sometimes the EMEDS team can’t turn fate. In some cases, injuries are just too extensive for a patient to be saved.

Over the months, insurgents have sent both service members and civilians to EMEDS with countless and devastating injuries. The most serious of these come from improvised explosive devices, a particularly deadly weapon used indiscriminately by terrorists.

In one attack, a man was brought to EMEDS with a gunshot wound to the face and a shattered femur. Although his injuries would task the most modern emergency care facilities, the surgeons were able to turn the grim reaper away, and are confident in both his recovery and quality of life.

Another success accredited to the EMEDS team that will directly impact patient care is a new $1.35 million facility planned to replace the current tents before the end of this year. The new facility takes EMEDS from six to 15 thousand square feet and includes a vast array of medical equipment.

As the Air and Space Expeditionary Force 5/6 rotation quickly draws to a close for the men and women of the 447th EMEDS, more than 3,000 patients have passed through their doors in nearly five months. Some were lost, most were saved, but all were treated with dignity, compassion and uncompromising care.