Back to Leatherneck…
LT Broc Mushet (combat dentist-we call them dentites), LTJG Jon Hamrick (FRSS critical care nurse), and I getting ready to transport a patient…This is how we roll at Delaram! =)
So, we left Delaram 2 recently, moving onto bigger and better things and onto the next adventure of this deployment journey…If I were to relate Delaram 2 to a place back home, it would be like the countryside of Afghanistan. The sky is so clear at night, with no man-made lights to decrease the star’s illumination. It’s so clear that you can even see the milky way and shooting stars…Peaceful, tucked away from all of the hustle and bustle, despite being kinetic. A few days ago, we touched down in Camp Leatherneck, leaving that amazing “countryside” and I realized how much of the “city” Leatherneck was….dusty, new construction going up, populated, integrated. It just isn’t the same. I miss Delaram 2 and the people that were there, but I know that it still wouldn’t be the same if we were to go back. What we had at Delaram was awesome-an amazing group of military medical professionals…the cream of the crop-living together, working together, and carrying out the mission of providing medical care to our wounded as well as to the local population of Delaram. We became a family, learned about each other’s quirks and idiosyncracies, strengths, weaknesses, boiling points-the essence of life. We were the shock trauma platoon and forward resuscitative team pioneers of Delaram 2. There is now a legacy and a precedent for future teams to uphold. We set the standard of medicine in that community. It was sad to leave along with all of the memories that we’ve made the past two months since being there. Onto our new journey, though! That’s how deployments go!
After arriving to Leatherneck, we immediately had to re-acclimate to the “city” life. Longer lines for food at the DFAC (dining facility), porter-potty like showers and bathrooms, more people at the gym, more military brass walking around. Camp Leatherneck is the melting pot. Georgian, Afghanis, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, USMC, U.S. Air Force, British Army, British Royal Marines, Danish Army, Swedish Army-this place is a huge conglomeration of different military multi-national forces. A lot more to do and a lot more busy…I’m just taking things one day at a time…As time goes by, it’s getting closer to coming home…We have been talking about things in the States that we miss so much. You don’t realize what you really have until it’s gone…We truly are so blessed in America! I am truly blessed to have family and friends that are supportive too!
July 4th is approaching and summer just begun…This time last year I was getting ready to move to Italy, ready for the next chapter in my life. It’s funny how that works. The past year has been nothing but new adventures and chapters for me. Moving from the States to Italy and then deploying to Afghanistan….now going back to the States and then resuming my tour in Italy. I think that God knew what I needed by sending me on this deployment. I needed a true fresh start to my life (as if moving to Italy already wasn’t!). I have met amazing people this past year and have been blessed to have been given the chance to walk in the footsteps of our heroes-past and present. I have learned what sacrifice for our country’s freedom really means…Onto our next adventure and new chapter in my Afghanistan book…I can’t wait to see what God has in store next!
