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Volunteers take weight off staff
Air Force ^
| Jan. 30, 2004
| Capt. Carrie Clear 447th Air Expeditionary
Posted on 01/31/2004 12:44:43 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl
Volunteers take weight off staff
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-- Chief Master Sgt. Barry Deal talks with Army Spc. Samuel Tolley at the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility here. Specialist Tolley suffered a staff infection in his foot. Volunteers help the CASF staff and comfort patients. Chief Deal is assigned to the 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron and Specialist Tolley is assigned to the 394th Quartermaster Battalian. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lisa Zunzanyika)
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by Capt. Carrie Clear
447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
1/30/2004 - BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Iraq (AFPN) -- Aside from the occasional mortar attack, people at Camp Sather sometimes forget they are in a combat zone. Not everyone serving in Iraq is that lucky.
Of all the units here, the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility gets almost daily reminders of what goes on outside Baghdad International Airport. Some of the injured soldiers in Iraq are brought through the CASF on their way to Germany.
Besides the medical care patients get at the CASF, they also get plenty of attention from the volunteers who visit with them as they wait for their flights.
Along with the group chaplains, there are about 10 airmen who regularly stop in after work to see if they can offer any assistance.
I go to the CASF every night to help, said Staff Sgt. Robert Grandstaff of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Talking with (patients) allows us to see the war through their eyes.
Its the least we can do for them with the sacrifices they make for us, said Senior Airman Joshua Higby of the 447th ECES. Everyone thinks theyre bulletproof. When you see people going through here in pieces, it puts you in your place, puts the war in perspective.
The volunteers spend anywhere from a few hours to an entire night helping CASF people and visiting with patients after putting in a full day performing their regular duties.
(Before) this experience, Ive only worked and associated with folks (who) were in full health, said Chief Master Sgt. Barry Deal of the 447th Expeditionary Communications Squadron. Volunteering with the CASF folks and patients has helped me overcome my discomfort of working in hospitals. When I return, I know that Ill be able to volunteer in our local hospital.
The patients are not the only ones to benefit from the volunteers presence. It also takes some of the load off of the CASF staff.
We do the mundane tasks -- feed them, help upload and download patients, talk and encourage them, listen to their stories, Chief Deal said.
I like to call them health-care extenders, said Lt. Col. David DeLorenzo, CASF commander. They dont (appreciate) the full impact of what they do. They allow us to focus on the medical needs. They take care of things like escorting patients to the latrines, but its more far-reaching than that. They understand what we do and the patients benefit first and foremost.
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bia; chaplain; gnfi; iraq; medic; usaf; volunteers; wia
To: MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; TEXOKIE; Alamo-Girl; windchime; SandRat; VOA; Coop; Grampa Dave; ...
Of all the units here, the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility gets almost daily reminders of what goes on outside Baghdad International Airport. Some of the injured soldiers in Iraq are brought through the CASF on their way to Germany.Besides the medical care patients get at the CASF, they also get plenty of attention from the volunteers who visit with them as they wait for their flights.
Along with the group chaplains, there are about 10 airmen who regularly stop in after work to see if they can offer any assistance.
I go to the CASF every night to help, said Staff Sgt. Robert Grandstaff of the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. Talking with (patients) allows us to see the war through their eyes.
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2
posted on
01/31/2004 12:46:13 PM PST
by
Ragtime Cowgirl
("The chapter of Iraq's history - Saddam Hussein's reign of terror - is now closed." Lt. Gen. Sanchez)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Being a volunteer is fun ~ Bump!
3
posted on
01/31/2004 2:05:28 PM PST
by
blackie
(Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
4
posted on
01/31/2004 2:42:07 PM PST
by
windchime
(Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump!
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