Not for the Faint of Heart

Rumors began flying early in the day about a visit from a "DV". Much of our staff was asked to show up at 1900 hours for a trip to the flight line. I was scheduled to work that night, so I was exempt. I asked the question, "What is a DV anyway?" Of course, that would be distinguished visitor you moron Hayes! Someone said it might be an actor from "The Sopranos". Big deal. Maybe it would be Jessica Simpson coming. Now that would be something... NOT! I came into work at 2000 hours for the night shift and the rumors were still rampant. The latest was that it was someone very important coming, perhaps the President.


We began making preparations for the visit. The hospital ward is usually overrun with Afghan patients. We were asked to move many of these patients to other rooms so that all the Americans were in one area. We had 5 patients involved in IED blasts who were strategically placed at the front of the ward. At this point, we were told that several patients would be receiving purple hearts. One of the patients was laying there in bed with head phones on in a pair of red and white stripped boxer shorts. I asked him kindly to please PUT SOME PANTS ON BOY! As the time of the visit came closer, the tension rose. Word was out that only those who were on duty would be allowed in the patient care areas. Because of this, a dozen or so doctors were locked into the doctor's lounge (aka "doc box") and asked to turn the video games off RIGHT AWAY. The room was guarded by an armed airman. How dare those doctors want to see this DV!


THERE I WAS, standing in the middle of the ward when the secret service guys began pouring into the hospital. The sheer size of these men was unbelievable. One of them was easily 6 feet 8 inches tall weighing 300 pounds. He reminded me of Mr. Incredible from the cartoon. Then, around the corner came the President himself! He began shaking hands with our medical technicians and nurses. He thanked each person for their service. I was standing next to one of our orthopedic surgeons. The president shook one last hand and I nervously asked myself if I should introduce myself as Dr. Hayes or Captain Hayes. It did not matter. In one quick instant, the President turned and proceeded directly towards the patients. I was staring at the back of his presidential bomber jacket. Oh, so close!


The room was called to order and we stood at attention as 2 young soldiers were awarded purple hearts for being wounded in combat. It gave me goose bumps. What else is there to say? The President continued to shake hands. He made his way over to my friend who is a nurse and they had a nice, brief conversation. (little did the President know that my friend is practically a card carrying member of the Tea Party!) In the meantime, the White House Chief of Staff approached myself and the orthopedic surgeon. He asked us where we were stationed, how long we had been at Bagram, and what it was like here. The orthopedic surgeon informed him that he had performed over 700 surgeries at Bagram in his 2 tours here.


The entourage moved on to the Intensive Care Unit. Two U.S. soldiers were patients there. Our trauma surgeon lead the President into the room. The rest of the visitors stayed outside. It was simply the President, the surgeon, and the nurse together with the patients. One of the patients had severely broken legs with large iron devices called external fixators holding the bones in place. He was not on a breathing machine and probably was able to grasp the enormity of the situation. The President awarded him the much deserved purple heart. The other patient was in critical condition. He had lost all four limbs in an IED explosion and also had much of his pelvis destroyed. He was one of the most severely injured patients any of us had ever seen. His ventilator was hissing away as the President leaned in to offer some words to him. The purple heart was laid on his torso. On his way out of the hospital, the President asked out loud to our medical commader, "How do you do what you do every day?" Many of us have asked ourselves that same question often here. After all, the realities of war are not for the faint of heart.