NPR just finished a three part series on combat medicine:
- Army Medevac Unit Races Against 'Golden Hour'
- 'Miracle Workers' Save Lives at Balad Field Hospital
- Combat Medicine: Fast-Tracking Troops to Germany
There are some interesting facts and statistics, that I won't rehash too much, but all quite amazing, really. A soldier will go from a battleground in Iraq to Landstuhl within 24 hours. Wounded soldiers have a 95% survival rate: the highest in military history.
My brother is an Army nurse anesthetist, having served in Landstuhl and Iraq, and currently at Fort Irwin. This winter, he'll be heading back to Iraq for six months. I know he's working hard, and that the work is hard on him (physically, mentally and emotionally), even though we don't talk about it. It's nice (not really the right word) to have a glimpse into his work.
