FOB Ghazni, Here We Come!

The Chinook ride to the FOB was pretty cool. I sat in the back right next to the rear gunner, so I had a great view of the mountains and the countryside. Only the second time I had ever been on a helicopter, so it was a neat experience. The trip was uneventful. We landed, threw off our bags, and the helicopter left immediately. The 3 of us were standing at the end of the airstrip going "now what?". Ultimately, we found our way to the hospital and met the team and the folks we were replacing.

The 452nd FST (Forward Surgical Team) at FOB Ghazni is actually a FSE (Forward Surgical Element) or "split" FST. Basically, that means we have half as many people as a full FST. There are 15 of us in total. I'm the only trauma surgeon, LTC Smith is the only orthopod, and CPT Kreel is the only CRNA. We can do up to 2 cases at a time, but typically only do 1. We essentially have no holding capacity; evacuation is generally pretty rapid to either the larger CSH (Combat Support Hospital) at BAF or to one of the local hospitals in Ghazni or Gardez (depending on the patient's nationality and the severity of injury). I was a bit surprised that we didn't have more people here, as I have been told that this FST is typically the busiest or second busiest in the theater.

The staff of the 452nd FST are awesome!! They are all really great people and are very good at what they do. I have enjoyed working with them so far. We overlapped with our "replacees" for about 3 hours. I got a brief tour from the prior trauma surgeon (LTC Corydon Siffring) as well as some "pointers", and then he was off on his return journey to the States.

I attempted to get settled in to my new "room". The entire FST actually stays in a B-Hut, which is a formal structure. My room is about 8 X 6 feet. I have internet access, but it is VERY SLOW. It is somewhat climate-controlled, but for a field setting, it isn't really that bad. I didn't quite get unpacked when patients began to arrive.

The first day, we saw 3 trauma patients. Two were Taliban who were injured while trying to set up an IED. One had only superficial wounds, the other an open femur fracture that required external fixation. Later, a LN (local national) arrived with a GSW to the thoracoabdomen. He required a right chest tube and a nephrectomy. All-in-all, not too bad for the first day.