Death and Angels

While providing religious support on a Forward operating base on February 11, 2012 at approx 11:26 We were engaged by the Taliban.  I heard a loud explosion from the impact of an incoming recoilless round into the Mosque, I grabbed my IOTV and ACH and with SGT Jones and headed for the Forward Surgical Treatment , as we left our building the second round landed impacting in the blimp yard and the explosion was heard, closer this time.  At this time the call for direct attack on the base defense was called over the speakers. As we ran to the FST, we ducked in behind a truck when the third round impacted 30 meters to the right of us by the  DFAC, (dining facility) spraying rocks and shrapnel into the side of the buildings, the FST and cars. We stepped out behind the truck and stared in a bit of shock at where it impacted in the midst of the coalition partners next to us, assessing that we were not injured we moved toward the ramp. Some of the uninjured Afghan fluor workers scooped up one of the injured partners  in a makeshift jacket litter and began carrying him towards us, we directed them into the Surgery room door,  blood from the femoral artery left a blood trail about 2 feet wide up the ramp to the FST.  Other walking wounded and non ambulatory began to make their way and be carried into the FST.

Unable to assess where the recoilless rounds were coming from, Sgt Jones did not return fire, but posted herself as security at the FST door, while I went into the FST and assisted in the trauma room for the next three hours with the 7 casualties, sadly, as I held onto the leg of the first patient attempting to provide comfort and aid, died about 15 minutes after arriving in the FST from severe facial, neck, and femoral trauma.

Over the next several hours I helped in the ER, prayed for staff, and wounded alike, helped in whatever way I could…the blood from the first patient covered the floor and all of the equipment from his femoral artery bleed.  I counseled, prayed and assisted with the rest of the injured. As I helped mop up the blood and change out the bed for the next patient, I kept leaving bloody footprints all over, it was surreal how much, and how bright red it all was, it truly looked like a slaughter house floor.

Another patient with severe head trauma begin to vomit what looked like raw hamburger all over the place and needed to be tilted to keep from choking, I prayed for him as well and did what I could to help comfort and support him and the staff.

The third patient, an American contractor, who had taken shrapnel to his leg and knee, was the next patient I spent time praying and helping comfort and support.  I stayed with this patient until his bleeding stopped, and broken leg was splinted, I helped place on the helicopter to Jaff.

I then went from room to room praying for the less injured, and talking and trying to encourage the patients as well as the staff.

After seeing all of this and being personally involved, I chose to stay rather than leave to ensure proper diffusing/trauma event processing of all involved Soldiers and Civilians alike.

Sgt Jones and I were supposed to fly out that afternoon, but after seeing the shock of the victims and care givers alike, we stayed to facilitate a critical incident stress debriefing with the FST staff, counseled the co workers of the FST casualties, and counseled the civilians of the blimp…who were narrowly missed. 

Three rounds from a recoilless rifle struck FOB …one into the MOSQUE,  one into the dirt by the Blimp, and one into the gravel, just off the main street, by the DFAC, PRT FST building.

Over the next 36 hours I counseled 21 Soldiers, provided a CISD for 17 of the FST staff, visited the civilians of Fluor praying, and counseling them as well, then I visited the civilians in charge of the sky security blimp….

After returning to my home FOB , I contacted Combat Stress and asked them to please make a trip to up north to support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Civilians.  They advised they would try to go this week. 

Sgt Jones who is my assistant and body guard and I were awarded the military Combat Action Badge for engaging and being engaged by the enemy in close combat.  Through our year deployment we experienced “taking fire” more times than we could count and yet each time God brought us through physically unscathed.