| Mar 12 |
Departed Peoria to Ft Hood in El Paso Tx. Busy week. Draw all equipment, clothing, etc. Medical review and shots, security briefs, training in first aid, chemical protection, recognition of IED's, rifle and 9mm pistol range. |
| Mar 18 |
Left Ft. Hood at 8 AM Saturday 18 March, arrived Kuwait 19 March, |
| Mar 19 |
19 March, inprocessed, went to Camp Beuhring, Kuwait (same place I was in 2003), more training in IED's shooting range and getting used to the heat. |
| Mar 23 |
Flew to Mosul 23 March, first mass casualty 24 March. For OPSEC (Operation Security) we have to be careful about too much info. Mass casualty tonight, current time 445AM, 27 injured, 10 little kids. That's all, Paul |
| Mar 30 |
We had a mass casualty Sunday with 30 Iraqi army recruits, what a mess. I don't know if I'm in any of the pictures but will check. Paul |
| April 1 |
Things are going well. The mass casualty from last weekend (our Sunday) is starting to quiet down. We have been told to send the Iraqi's that are stable back to the civilian hospitals. Temps here are 75-80 during the daytime and 55 at night. I'm still sharing a container housing unit (CHU) with Ralph. It's a metal box 8 feet wide by 20 feet long. Hopefully we can each get our own soon. |
| April 3 |
Today was rain all day, nothing like 2 inches of rain to mix with all the dust/mud. One benefit the bad guys stay indoors. One case today, acute appendicitis, no laparoscopes. Current forecast is for no more rain this week, highs in the 80's. Will try to email some of the photos from the mass causalty/suicide bomber. Paul’s response to our practice wide E-mail regarding I-74 speed zones: But our instructions in the driving class here was to drive down the middle of the road with the "pedal to the metal.” Primarily that was due to the IED's and VBIED's. By the way if I get a driver's license for the Striker can I bring one home? (IMAGE) |
| April 9 |
We had another busy day Sunday. Drive by shootings on Iraqi's, vehicle improvised explosive device (again mainly Iraqi with one American minor wound to forearm). Computers were down our Friday and Saturday. Some server problem in Germany. |
| April 11 |
When I click on the survey link I get a message the link is not valid or the survey no longer exists. We are limited (filtered) as to some web sites, I don't know if this is the problem or not. I know asking the computer people here to help will take time. Suggestions? Second item, do you have any suggestions on how or where to send pictures to you and the office? I have a great picture for Dr. Heywood of an up-armored pick-up truck with a gun turret in the pick-up bed and a Suburban with 3 inch glass in the windows. Lastly History Channel "Mail Call" folks are here filming, no Lee Ermy though. I was in some of the OR shots. Don't know when it might be shown. (IMAGE) |
| April 12 |
Wednesday was busy. Rounds in the AM, short break of an hour and then an Iraqi civilian injured by an IED. Tremendous damage, we worked for 3 hours and then he went into DIC and he died. Several of the docs have been discussing what causes the people to go into DIC so quickly and what to do about it. No one has seen anything quite like it. |
| April 18 |
Current time is 830 PM. Yesterday we had a dust storm for about 4 hours then a dust storm and thunderstorm and heavy rain (at least it cleared the dust). Fairly high winds too. Today has been cool and dry. One Iraqi Army (IA) injury today with shrapnel to left femur. I operated in conjunction with ortho. The bad guys don't like the cold rainy weather so it has been nice the last few days. |
| May 7 |
Jo and Greg, I filled in the form and got a notary to stamp it today, Sunday the 7th. Will mail it tomorrow. Good thing I'm in a war zone, no one put a stamp on the letter. Actually any letter we mail from Iraq/Kuwait is no charge. |
| May 9 |
I mailed Jo's application back on Monday. Hot today, very hot. No one that I know has an outdoor thermometer. Went to the gym after a case this AM and now am relaxing on the computer and getting ready for supper. Leisurely 15 minute walk to the DFAC (ask Beth). Tuesday is usually fried food night. Each week the menus are the same except for Wednesday night they vary them. For nurses week the doctors got 2 gallon tubs of ice cream yesterday and all the trimmings, put them on an Army gurney and went around the hospital dishing out ice cream. Otherwise nothing new here. Paul |
May 10
3:39 AM |
We had a mass causalty starting about 10PM a suicide bomber blew himself up going to the police station in Tal Afar. He blew up in a market area, several children. So far all the kids we got are OK, pretty severe abdomen injuries. Several head injuries we sent to Balad, neurosurgery is really going to be busy there. |
May 11
6:15a |
We had 27 from the bombing in Tal Afar. Apparently a vehicle borne improvise explosive device (VBIED, car bomb) painted to look like a merchant vehicle went to a market area and was hawking low price flour and sugar. When people came, he blew it up. We had 16 kids, one I operated on was about 5-6 y/o, liver and right chest injury. Several of the adults had bad head injuries and we sent 7 of them out to Balad (where ABC reporter Woodruff went) for neurosurgical care. One little girl I helped was the only survivor from her family. On that note, let me change and be more upbeat. The surgical journals have been a great treat with the surgeons here. Everyone is hungry for medical info to read. When I got the box I took it to the lounge building (McCay Manor, brown sofa building) to share with the others. Today is Thursday 615AM and we have lots of the injured to bring back today for follow up care. Nothing else new here. (IMAGE) |
| May 25 |
The 19th to the 21st I went to Tal Afar (about 60 miles west) to do a follow-up clinic of the people injured in the suicide IED blast on the 9th. I didn't have much access to a computer there. When I got back someone had downloaded a virus here and our computers have been shut down for the last 4 days. Currently I'm at the MWR computer with 25 other folks and the bandwidth is terrible. Everyone is trying to do instant messaging. I am limited on the computer time. Also I can't see your whole email while I type. War is HELL. Yesterday was interesting, mortar round landed about 250 yards from where I was walking. That was the first round in over 6 weeks. Need to go. Paul |
| June 1 |
The internet is still very slow and they have taken a lot of the computers to "clean them up." Haven't forgotten about the pics, when they came through and cleaned up the computers all the pics were erased too. Sometime I need to come in late and work on sending the pics to you. Unsure of return date, they are telling us now it will be late September, hope they are wrong and just trying to keep us "focused." Going to a base about 100 miles south of here until at least Sunday, computer access is nil. Will let you know when I get back. |
June 21
7:30 PM |
Temperture max today was a mere 122, overnight low was 93. We had a soldier with massive burns last night. He was refueling a vehicle and the fuel caught on fire and covered him. About 75% body surface burn. We stabalized him, did escharotomies on the chest and arms and then transfered him to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) today. Very critical.
On a better note. Please let the girls know I got the package of office mail and the antibiotic handbook. Thanks for both. For the next several weeks, until the end of July, I'm the acting Commander for the FST while commander is back in the US. Only thing different, lots more paperwork. Please let Brian know I did get the operating room pictures he sent and I thank him very much. Nothing else new on this end. |
June 27/28
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Tuesday 27 June was hot and humid. Tmax 112, humidity 40%. Wednesday 28th was high wind day with blowing sand, aircraft grounded. Extra long workout at gym over weekend.
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July 4th |
July 4th evening BBQ at Dining Facility (DFAC), bottles of sparkling grape juice at tables. Shoe leather steak but still tasted great. Burn patient from 3 weeks ago finally transferred to Nepal yesterday, stable but critical.Commo blackout last 48 hrs, Striker guy killed by sniper. 4 in last 30 days. Our guys are trying to find the sniper but how do you find one or two people in a city of 2 million? Our rules of engagement (ROE) require positive ID before firing. |
July 5
2:02 a.m. |
Limited time so bullet format:
- Received package and charger for iPod, thank you.
- Interview with History channel scheduled to air first fall episode, late October/early November.
- Sunday night (2nd July), 4 Iraqi Army (IA) guys shot up, took care of two, one had carotid injury with transection of external carotid artery, ligated artery and oversewed hole in common carotid. No stroke, doing great, home on Thursday.Second guy with soft tissue damage to legs, home next day (Monday 3rd July).
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July 7
12:38 AM |
Beth, just a quick note about the cookies. Thank you very much. I brought them to the OR on the 3rd. We had 4 Iraqi Army guys shot up pretty bad. The sugar helped us get through the night. They were individually wrapped, fresh and not crumbled. Again they hit the spot. One guy I helped with had a transection of the external carotid at the bifurcation. The vascular surgeon helped me do the case. The patient is doing great, no stroke. Only reason he is still in the hospital is a big hip fracture too. Home early fall. Paul |
July 15
3pm |
We had one of the convoys shoot a car that pulled out into it. Often it could be a vehicle borne IED (VBIED), shot up pretty badly was a 6 year old girl, right iliac vein, small bowel and colon, took most of the night. She still has several surgeries to go. My problem with the internet is apparently the hospital filters hotmail. To access hotmail I go to the Morale, Welfare and Recreation building. It's about 1/3 mile away and then you wait your turn. Next week I will be traveling around for about 6 weeks, internet access will be limited. Less than 80 days to go for return to CONUS. |
August 6
10:57 PM
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I returned to Mosul last night, there is a warning order we may go to xxxxxxx. Should know more in 3-5 days typically. Hopefully no move, I'd like to go back to Tal Afar. As for the mail, I have never received the recredentialling packet. I did receive several boxes when I got back last PM. Thanks for the pillow and sheets, things are getting pretty worn. The chips and dip will be shared in a few days. Again thanks for everything and please let everyone know. At this point I don't know where I will be so would hold off on any further mail or packages (even though I surely will miss them). Thanks again, Paul |
August 15
6:30 AM |
Good morning. I am at Mosul still. Currently there are no definite plans for us to go anywhere. There are contingency plans for us to augment the hospital in Baghdad if activity picks up down there. So far the causalities have been light but they have not gotten into the bad part of town, Sadr City. We start our out processing one month from today. Keeping our fingers crossed about coming home. Computer access and speed still is terrible. The service is partly contracted to civilian and part military but neither accept responsibility to make sure the system runs well and provides us with the support we need and want. Paul. |
| August 16 |
Things are quiet here so far. There was a big IED explosion Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, we got 4 patients from the Tuesday explosion. It was about a mile to 1 and 1/2 miles away but shook all the buildings. It's anyone's guess about how much trouble will be stirred up in Baghdad. Very definitely there are a lot of bad people there, what happens, how many causalities really depends on the politicians and how much they control the sweep. So far I get the sense the politicians are not letting the Army do very much. These people just hate everyone. So far everything is on track for leaving Iraq last of Sept or early October. Will let you know of any changes. Paul |
| August 29 |
Things are starting to get closer to the end here. They have been taking away the computers so less access but the connection is faster. Current time is 615 AM just to get on. Hopefully we should know this week what day approximately I'll be leaving Mosul. Will let you know. Most of the stuff we are getting now are civilian injuries from gun shot wounds and IED's. |
