Rocking those babies

We get lots of requests from the combat support hospitals for supplies to help them care for their Iraqi and Afghan patients. And the patients that they see way too much is kids. It's an unfortunate fact that the impact of war and accidents falls really hard on kids.


One request we ocasionally get is for rocking chairs that can be put in the wards. Any parent knows how there's nothing better for soothing a small child than a rocking chair.

Here are some pics from the ICU at the 332nd Air Force hospital at Balad, Iraq, who asked for 6 rockers from us. That's Capt. Inez S. who helped me work out the logistics and lined up some volunteers to put them together.






Cost: $120 each plus shipping
Effect: Priceless

-Rog

Soldier's quotes of the week - Comments from some wounded guys

Captain Christine L from the 506th writes about the amazing spirit of some of the wounded guys she's treated in her E/R.

We allow our soldiers to call home after we get them stable and one, whose' Humvee was struck stated to his wife, "Honey, I am OK we just got blown up."

Pt. #2 stated, "Morphine is gooooooood stuff."



The day I was hanging those new curtains you sent, I had one side up and I sat down to take a break and we had incoming. I told one patient,"hey you get the new curtains." He replied, "yeh and a purple heart, not bad for one day of work.

Overheard a patient saying - "I hadn't wanted a cigarette since I got shot."

Another soldier was in the dining facility (no longer called chow hall), and he was standing and feeling the variety of fruits to choose from. He picked up an apple, looked at it, took a bite, and said to his buddy "Yeh, I worked produce for a year........before I got this high speed Army job.
It was really cute. I just had to laugh.

Urgent - We Need Your Help to Continue Supporting the Wounded

You've all read here about the things we do to support the American soldiers who need our help so much. And now Soldier's Angels needs your help to continue this good work.

The economy is down, the "R" word is being tossed around by the media. The first to be hit in a slow economy are non-profit organizations, and we are the last to recover as well. Donations are down; we are a 100% non-profit organization, totally funded by the generosity of the American people.

I was contacted by 7 new medical units this week alone because they have heard about what we do. Now, you need to understand what these medics need and that always worry that are asking for too much. Here are a very few examples:


-"If you could spare a few blankets, our patients could sure use them."

-"I hope I'm not asking for too much, but we can't get shampoo and soap here."

-"We lost 5 men this week, and morale is really down. Anything you can send would be a big help. Maybe some magazines or Dvd's to take their minds off their buddies who were lost".

"We could really use sweat clothes. It has turned bitterly cold here, and evacuating patients out on a cold aircraft oftentimes without proper warm clothing breaks our hearts. Incredibly, the patients never complain!"


So please help if you can. Get the word out. It's easy, just click on the link below and you'll go the the Soldier's Angels website where you can make a donation today.

DONATE

Do it for them.
-Rog

Another Eagle Scout Assists the Wounded

Please join us in congratulating Bryan See, of Seaford, NY who recently earned his Eagle Scout badge.






Bryan and his parents on the big day

As Medical Support Director of the Soldier’s Angels organization, I would like to formally thank Bryan See for his Eagle project to collect and ship toiletries, clothing and other needed items to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq. In their year in Iraq, the 28th treated over 30,000 American and Coalition military, as well as civilian casualties, and the help of patriotic citizens like Bryan made that possible. Bryan’s dedication demonstrates the highest goal of Scouting: to help other people.

On behalf of Soldiers Angels, please accept our thanks and congratulations on this special day. You have earned the Eagle Rank, a rare and distinguished honor that you will carry with you every day for the rest of your life.

As a former Scoutmaster, Army medic and father of an Eagle Scout, I would also like to add my personal congratulations to you for this accomplishment.
Respectfully,



-Rog

INCOMING, INCOMING

One of the new Aeromed buses that was destroyed at Balad AFB hospital

I received this in an email from a Captain who works in the ICU at the 332 Evac hospital at Balad, Iraq. This hospital is the largest in the theater of operations,and moved out of tents into a permanent, hardened building only last Fall. I shudder to think what might have happened if they were still in those tents...


IMAGINE IF YOU WOULD


INCOMING, INCOMING sounds from the loud-speaker. You’ve heard them a hundred times. This time immediately after you hear the alarm, you feel the BOOM! It sounded like the rocket hit the new ten million dollar roof over the hospital. In my thoughts I thanked God we are safe. Everyone takes cover on the floor and wait to hear what happened.

We didn’t know it hadn’t hit the roof, it shook the entire building. The rocket actually fell about 50 feet from the hospital near the guard shack. It hit the Combat Aeromedical Staging Flight buses destroying 2 of the 4 buses used to transport patients to the airplane for Germany.

Most people were so frightened; I was really for the lack of better words, “pissed off”! Not like it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen here, but we care of some of the very people who everyday attempt to take our lives. It’s the closest I’ve been to an explosion and I have no desire to have it explode any closer to me.

While one doctor was crossing the street, he was hit by shrapnel in the thigh. He became the trauma call. A security guard was knocked out and had a ruptured ear drum. Everyone was ordered to put on their Individual Body Amour including the helmet to continue patient care.

The patients, family and parents had nothing to protect them, of sorts. I thought about the elderly grandmother here. Her house was destroyed by an IED which caused the house to collapse on her and her family. I wondered if she felt fear because she had experienced a direct fire attack on her home. Of her family members who were treated here, she was the most critical. She will recover, but it will be a very long recovery for her.

Pray without ceasing for, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. Bible Verse: Rev 20:12. Thank God for his word. It provides comfort in the time of need.

Inez/Mom

Our docs, nurses and medics are never far from the action, even in the largest facilty.
-Rog