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thedrifter
04-26-05, 09:33 AM
Three bottles a day keeps the corpsman away
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story Identification #: 200542524035
Story by Cpl. Christi Prickett



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (April 25, 2005) -- Hydration is a word often underused, occasionally misunderstood and most often not taken seriously. By definition, to hydrate means to provide water for something or somebody in order to reestablish a correct fluid balance.

Service members need to pay attention to their bodies to ensure they have correct balance.

“You can never understate a good fluid balance,” said Cmdr. Steven M. Galeski, group surgeon, II MEF Headquarters Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). “It should be considered with any activity.”

Fluid balance is important because it keeps service members in the fight.

“The first and most important [step] is education,” said the St. Louis native. “Knowing about hydration only protects you more.”

Another point is to how much water to drink and how often.

“There are one and a half liters per water bottle [here],” said Lt. j.g. Russell D. Francek, medical officer, group aid station, II MEF Headquarters Group, II MEF (FWD). “That means that an average Marine should drink three of the big bottles a day.”

Francek is referring to the water bottles in various places around camp. The more physical activity someone does the more water they should drink, he said.

“Walking on a flat surface and walking on sand require different amounts of water intake,” said Galeski, giving an example of how various activities affect the balance. “You have to take in every consideration when determining if you are drinking enough water.”

Reducing the risk for sunburn is also very important.

“Wearing sunscreen is very important and helps more than you would think,” said Francek. “The issued military uniforms act as a barrier for the sun."

Francek said the uniforms will keep you cool.

“Working in just a T-shirt and your trousers will get you a quick trip to your (group aid station),” he said. “You should always work with your blouse on.”

Nutrition has a lot to do with the way your body controls its fluid balance, said Galeski.
He advises trying to eat foods with high nutritional values.

“People who have neglected to eat or skip meals during the day are usually energy deprived,” he said. “One of the last heat cases I saw was because the person hadn’t eaten lunch or dinner. If you’re not eating, water alone won’t keep you going.”

Drinks with caffeine are very demanding on your body, so are body building and energy supplements, said Francek.

“Drinking coffee, energy drinks, and sodas is like running in place,” said Galeski. “You keep drinking but you’re not getting anywhere.”

Proper sleep is another tip Galeski suggested.

“All of the points I mentioned are leadership issues,” he said. “It is up to noncommissioned officers and staff noncommissioned officers to make sure their troops are getting enough rest, eating enough food and drinking water.”

Galeski and Francek agreed that it doesn’t have to be hot to be a heat casualty.

“You don’t have to be sweating for your body to be losing water,” said Francek.

EDITOR’S NOTE
For more information about this article send e-mail to cepaowo@cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil

Ellie

thedrifter
04-26-05, 04:27 PM
Akron, Ohio, native cares for Marines while deployed to Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 200542375551
Story by Cpl. Ken Melton



HADITHA DAM, Iraq (April 23, 2005) -- Most people begin thinking about retirement by the time they reach 50 years old. Being in or around a combat environment would likely be the last thing they would be considering. For one 57-year-old hospital corpsman with 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, age will not slow him down.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Paul G. Nutter, a hospital corpsman from Akron, Ohio, is overseas and serving his country for a second time. This time though he is with a different service.

Nutter graduated from Akron-Butchel High School in 1966 where he won the regional 100-yard backstroke and 50-yard individual medley events in 1965 and 1966.

Upon graduating Nutter wanted to do something different instead of going to school or working at the local factory.

"My uncle was a Marine veteran of World War II. He inspired with my decision to go with the best," Nutter said. "So I joined the Corps."

In the Corps, Nutter served as an infantryman with Force Recon and participated in the Easter Offense in Hue City.

"This was the first time that we had ever fought house-to-house and street-to-street," Nutter stated. "The MOUT (Military Operations Urban Terrain) training that Marines go through today is a result of that."

After serving eight years in the Marine Corps, reaching the rank of gunnery sergeant, Nutter returned to civilian life. Returning from serving his country, he found himself continuing to serve those in need by becoming a fireman and paramedic. During this time he also attended Akron University and graduated with an Associate's Degree in Gerontology in 1978.

In 1990 he became a full-time paramedic and decided to serve his nation again, but this time he choose a different Corps.

"I joined the Naval Reserves as a field corpsman right at the start of the Gulf war," Nutter said. "I wanted to be able to help my fellow Marines with the knowledge I had gained from my civilian life experience."

While he didn't get the chance to deploy then, he kept his skills sharp so if he were ever called upon he would be ready.

As Operation Iraqi Freedom rolled into its third year, he received his chance to deploy in support of the Marines. In March he found himself in Iraq with the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment.

Though his wife has concerns for his safety due to his age, Nutter knows the Marines around him will keep him safe.

"My wife worries more now because of my age than she did when I was deployed in '66. We were just dating back then," He explained. "I know that everything will be alright as long as the Marines are here and the corpsman are here to keep them healthy."

Nutter has served 23 years in the military and is the oldest service member attached to the battalion. He plans to retire after his mission here.

"I've seen a lot, done a lot and made a difference over the past few decades. I never had any regrets as long as I know I helped keep the Marines and the Naval Corps going strong," Nutter finished.

Ellie

thedrifter
04-27-05, 08:12 AM
Sailor upholds Navy corpsmen legacy
Submitted by: II Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Story Identification #: 20054258347
Story by Lance Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin



CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (April 25, 2005) -- Navy corpsmen are a group of men and women armed primarily with the weapons of compassion. With their medicines and bandages they fight to save the lives of those who call out to them. The sacrifices made by these Sailors have grown into a legacy for others to follow.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Roy Montgomery, 28, corpsman, Group Aid Station, II MEF Headquarters Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) is one Sailor following the legacy.

Montgomery has always been fond of the water. As a child, when he was not in school he could be found fishing.

“I used to fish all the time,” said the Heflin, La. native. “I would fish for anything and everything. If I could put something on my hook that a fish would bite I would do it. I loved to fish and I still do. There just isn’t much fishing to be done out here.”

Growing up in a town with a population of just under 250 people, Montgomery graduated from Sibley High School in May 1994 and enlisted in the Navy.

“I knew before I graduated high school I wanted to join the Navy,” he said. “I had been in school for 12 years and the last thing I wanted at the time was more school.”

During his enlistment Montgomery has served in both Navy and Marine Corps units.

“When you work in a Navy hospital you are considered on the blue side and when you are attached to a Marine Corps unit you are considered on the green side,” explained Montgomery. “I’ve been on both sides. I think the green side is more for me. There is just a better sense of camaraderie and brotherhood. I think corpsmen are looked up to more by Marines than by other Sailors. That’s just me.”

Montgomery said regardless of where he is stationed he enjoys his work.

“It’s my job to take care of the Marines here,” he said. “Most of the cases we see are common cold related and sinus infections. Even the small things can become overwhelming and take somebody out of the fight.”

Though Montgomery spends most of his time indoors at the Group Aid Station, he manages to make his way outside the wire to assist on periodical convoys which retrieve medical supplies for the camp.

“When Marines go play we’ve got to play too,” he said.

Montgomery is studying for the Enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist pin. To earn the Fleet Marine Force warfare device, sailors must meet the eligibility criteria and be recommended by their chain of command. Candidates must pass written and oral board examinations and receive at least one observed evaluation, scoring no less than a 3.0.

“I’ve been studying for a while and it will be nice to have the pin,” said Montgomery.

Before the pin may be awarded, a written exam is administered to test specific professional skills, knowledge and military experience which are required for members of the Fleet Marine Force.

Montgomery plans on finishing his 20 years of service and retiring as a Navy corpsman.

*EDITOR’S NOTE*
For more information about this article, send an e-mail to cepaowo@cemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil.

Ellie

thedrifter
04-28-05, 04:32 AM
Corpsmen keep Marines in the fight
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 2005426163838
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Shannon Arledge



AL ASAD, Iraq (April 27, 2005) -- Walking among the Marines, they stand ready to provide the urgent medical care needed in a forward operating location. They are well trained and demonstrate a high level of esprit de corps any Marine would appreciate.

The corpsmen of Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, are prepared. They understand that the Marines of this squadron and other units here depend on their ability to know their job. These sailors provide immediate life saving treatment as necessary for a combat environment, and operate a clinic for just about every ailment a person can complain of.

"Since we arrived (almost three months ago), we've seen more than 700 Marines, some with major and some with minor injuries," said Chief Petty Officer John M. Westfield, 37, and Dallas, Pa., native. "Our training has prepared us for this fight. Most days are quiet, but you never know when the enemy may get lucky."

Daily training to hone lifesaving skills is part of the professional growth of these sailors. The training also includes the Marines they serve beside. They recently taught the procedures for inserting intravenous tubes or IVs. This classroom instruction wasn't your typical slide show. The class came with a practical application, which meant each Marine would practice their technique on each other.

"If we are on a convoy and multiple Marines need immediate medical attention the corpsman may not be able to start an IV," said Hospital Corpsman Kyle W. Carswell, 20, who hails from Morganton, N.C. "It's important that the Marines know how to do this, if the doc is treating another patient."

An elite group of Marines called the Immediate Response Team from MWSS-271 often travels outside the base perimeter. These Marines have logged more than 50 convoys since they arrived.

"When we go outside the wire anything can happen. We need to be ready, and this class taught me everything I needed," said Lance Cpl. Adam L. Torrez, 21, who calls Rocky Ford, Colo., home. "This was the first time I actually performed an IV, and I was nervous, but my 'patient' was cooperative."

"I love this," said Hospital Corpsman Joseph E. Perkins. "Being along side Marines has been the favorite part of my job. They're like brothers and we have a great bond; I'd do anything for them and they'd do anything for me. It means a lot that they learn from these classes," added the 21-year-old from Middletown, Ohio.

Close to 30 sailors make up the medical unit providing care for more than 1,200 Marines and sailors here. They utilize radiography equipment and have the ability to perform laboratory tests, issue medications, and provide the majority of preventive medicine for the forward operating bases of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.

"We were picked to do a specific job here, and we've been doing it," said Lt.Cmdr. Michael J. Walt, senior medical officer, from Madison, Pa. "Some days are better than others, but, despite the challenges all deployed units face, I'm very happy to be here. When it is all said and done, this is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had."

Petty Officer 3rd Class Emily A. Dooley, 23, is no stranger to the gory images battle may bring. She deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2003 and saw first hand the carnage of war. Although her unit is ready to provide trauma care, she isn't disappointed in the lack of battle wounded.

"I'm very grateful for the cold and flu, separated shoulders and sprained ankles," she said. "I'm also glad I'm able to provide a service to the Iraqi people. It's great to be doing something so they can one day enjoy the daily freedoms we do," added the Satellite Beach, Fla., native.

"We are working as a motivated group," said Lt. j.g. Hank L. Bradbury, physicians assistant, 31, from Albuquerque, N.M. "These sailors come from different platforms (job specialties) and have integrated well. They have team spirit, and are improving professionally."

The corpsmen of MWSS-271 serve throughout Iraq. They provide valued care to the Marines near the Syrian border, and as far south as Al Taqaddum, Iraq. They fly daily missions into harms way on the battlefield during casualty evacuations and travel alongside Marines searching for improvised explosive devices. They man the guns, and provide cover for the Marines when necessary. The sailors ensure Marines are fit to fight, allowing them to sustain their efforts in the battle for a free Iraq.

-To find out more information about the Marines and Sailors mentioned in this article please email arledges@acemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil-


Ellie

lprkn
04-28-05, 02:35 PM
Originally posted by thedrifter
Three bottles a day keeps the corpsman away

Bottles of Jack Daniels, I hope.

thedrifter
04-29-05, 07:28 AM
3/4 "Doc" builds faith in Iraq
Submitted by: 2nd Marine Division
Story Identification #: 2005426233541
Story by Lance Cpl. Paul Robbins Jr.



CAMP ABU GHRAIB, Iraq (April 27, 2005) -- Sweat poured down his forehead with every swing of the pickaxe, the ground splitting before the force of the blows. Neither the burning sun nor the hard ground would stop him, the time was right.

Hospitalman 3rd Class Kipp A. Petry, a 42-year-old corpsman with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, Regimental Combat Team-1, had an epiphany while he sped through his day aboard Camp Abu Ghraib, Iraq.

Petry decided he would be baptized, and Iraq seemed the perfect place.

"Something inside me said it's right," said the El Paso, Texas, native, "something said now is the time to do it, and what better place to do it?"

On Feb. 19, Petry approached the battalion's Religious Program Specialist, Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron G. Neely, to make his request. After a discussion with the chaplain, Neely came back to Petry with an eager approval.

Neely began preparations almost immediately, but was stopped by an unexpected request from Petry.

"I was just going to have the engineers dig the pit, but Petry said no, he was going to do it," Neely said.

Petry began working on the pit immediately, with Neely by his side, using a shovel and pickaxe to make a grave worthy of the ceremony.

The pair worked tirelessly, using their free time to work on the project, while gaining a sense of accomplishment with each swing of the pickaxe.

"Every time I removed a chunk of ground, I felt as if I was removing an old part of my life. I couldn't stop," Petry said.

The digging portion of the project was slated to be a weeklong endeavor, but the pair finished in three days.

Over the next few days, sandbags were placed along the sides of the pit and a sheet of plastic was placed over the sandbags to keep the water clean.

"It held more significance to me because I took an active part in preparing it," Petry explained, "I'm a worker and I was blessed to be able to do it."

Petry's baptism, attended by his friends, fellow enlisted service members and a number of officers, took place the following Sunday.

"We had at least 15-20 people there," said Navy Lt. Matthew S. Weems, the battalion chaplain and 33-year-old native of Kingfisher, Okla., "from his company's guys to battalion staff. It was good."

For Petry, the elation of having such a good turnout and the strong sense of accomplishment, was only outdone by what he felt as he was being baptized.

"When I got in the water it was heavy, like it was pushing in on me," Petry said, "but when I came back up, the weight was lifted. It felt great!"

The pit was used again later that day for the baptism of a Marine and will continue to be used for this purpose in the future.

Although it was Petry who worked so hard to build it, he knew when he started that he would not be the only one to benefit.

"I built it for those who need it," Petry said, "It wasn't just for me."

Ellie

thedrifter
05-02-05, 06:25 AM
Local doc learned 'glorified first aid'
A young physician grows up in a hurry when he comes under fire on an island in the Pacific.

BY JIM HODGES

May 2, 2005


NEWPORT NEWS -- The Marines called them "surgeons," but they performed no operations. Their job was glorified first aid: Stop the bleeding if you can, inject morphine if they need it, splint the fracture, apply sulfa powder, give plasma and move the man on to the hospital, where there were doctors with more time.

Where there were no shells flying overhead, no bullets whizzing around.

It wasn't what James Baggs bought into at Medical College of Virginia. It wasn't what he trained to do as an intern at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. It certainly wasn't what he eventually did in a long career as a gynecologist on the Peninsula.

It was what the Marines told him to do 60 years ago on Okinawa, the bloodiest engagement of the Pacific War with 38,000 wounded and 12,000 Americans killed.

"You learned to duck," Baggs, 85, says of Lesson No. 1 in warfare. "Whenever you heard shellfire, you hit the deck. You get low as you can and don't stick your head up too quickly."

And Lesson I-A for a doctor: "If you're trying to take care of wounded, you just take care of wounded. Your job was taking care of the guy, and you don't think of your own protection. You just concentrate on what you're doing."

The war made Baggs a force-fed doctor, a newly-minted Navy lieutenant junior grade who was a product of a hurry-up internship and a long way from his north Richmond home in 1945.

The Marine Corps had hopped islands up the Pacific, and there was one more step before the anticipated invasion of Japan. To prepare to take Okinawa, the 6th Division was created out of veteran remnants of other island battles and out of some green medical personnel who went ashore on April 1, 1945.

Easter Sunday was when Baggs heard shots fired in anger for the first time.

"It was rather impressive," says Baggs, who tends to understate. "There were guns from the naval ships, and you could hear those 16-inch shells go v-v-v-v-v over your head and you just hoped they would keep going."

On the beach only six hours, he became a doctor when the first casualty showed up about 4 p.m. with a bullet wound.

"We really weren't under any fire that first day, except for our own overhead," he says. "We felt very secure. I learned later on that the Japanese had soldiers on boats who could have attacked us on the beach, but I didn't know it at the time, fortunately."

Two weeks later, he joined the war in earnest when a battalion lost a doctor and a Jeep showed up on the beach. The driver told him to get in.

"I replaced a doctor who got shot," Baggs says. "He was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be: with the war dogs, the point men. They took me up the beach 10-12 miles. They let me out at a fork in the road and pointed to the left and said, 'Don't go that way.' "

About 200 yards up the right fork, his duties intensified and medical conditions became even more primitive.

"Each battalion had two doctors and 100 corpsmen," he says. "When the troops advanced, when they would take a new hill or whatever objective they had that day, one of us would take half the corpsmen and go with them. The other would stay behind with the other corpsmen, so we were leapfrogging with the advance.

"We generally stayed within 100 yards of the fighting; seldom more than 300 yards behind it."

The routine was hardly routine. Corpsmen bring casualties to the improvised aid station under fire. "Of the 100 corpsmen, 50 were either killed or wounded," Baggs said.

The medicine was anything but routine: a steady stream of casualties for a doctor only months from his internship.

"You stay so busy taking care of the wounded they're bringing in, you don't have time to wonder what's going on," Baggs says.

It's only in reflection that specifics come to mind.

"We had one guy, a really fine young corpsman, who was shot right under the orbit of his eye," Baggs remembers. "He came in completely blind. I felt sorry for him.

"We had another guy who had a belt of grenades and was hit and they blew off half of his buttocks. Some really horrible stuff."

In each case, it was patch them up and send them on.

"We had another corpsman, real nice guy, who was shot in the belly," says Baggs. "I don't know if he lived or died. That was another problem: You never knew what happened to your people. You didn't know if they lived or died."

You didn't have time to wonder, even about the lucky ones.

"We had a guy with a spoon in his dungarees pocket," Baggs says. "A machine gun bullet hit the spoon and deflected off and took off about half of his pectoral muscle. If he hadn't had that spoon there, it would have killed him, no question about it. We had little tricky things like that. Those are the things you remember."

You even remember the occasional odd case, like the Marine with the buzzing in his ear.

"Since I didn't have an otoscope, I took a dropper, filled it with mineral oil and inserted it gently into his ear," Baggs says. "Out came a small centipede. It dropped to his shoulder, and I brushed it off to the ground and stomped on it."

The Marines were sleeping in foxholes in sugar cane fields when the centipedes invaded.

Rest came when he could find time and when the Japanese would allow it.

"The most terrifying thing they had were the 'screaming meemies,' " he says. "It was like an oxygen tank, about 31/2-4 feet long. They fired it like a big mortar, but it went end over end. It made the weirdest screaming sound and, when it hit, there was a big explosion.

"When they fired it at night, it was terrifying. You didn't sleep all that much anyway. It's hard to sleep in a hole. The more comfortable sleeping accommodations were when we cleared out a Japanese tomb. You would take a stretcher and sleep in there and you felt safe."

Every day was an education.

"You never got used to the conditions," he says. "You just improvised with what you had and did the best you could. You wished you had more to work with, that you could do more for people. We were glorified first aid. You do everything you can to keep that fellow alive.

"We were proud of the fact that no one actually died in our aid station. I don't know what happened to them after they left. I wondered. I still wonder."

The end came on June 21. By then, Ed Cotton of Newport News had joined the 6th Marines as a new platoon leader. "I was the ninth one my platoon had had on Okinawa," Cotton says.

Baggs came back to the United States through Guam, joining his parents, who had moved to Norfolk.

"When I came back from overseas, my parents told me I was depressed," he says. "I didn't know I was depressed. It took me a while to get my thinking straight.

"I still wake up from time to time and think about things that happened over there, and it's 60 years later. I just wonder what happened to those guys. Are they still living? If so, where are they? I wonder if they got back and had families, like I did. I feel real lucky to survive it all."

And to have taken a giant step toward becoming a doctor.




Ellie