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"Anywhere the infantry goes an Army medic goes," says Kyle P. Eisenbraun. Being a medic wasn't the way he had envisioned himself as a child playing war games with G.I. Joe, The reality of war is a front row seat for Spc. Kyle P. Eisnbraun, combat medic attached to 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. He is assigned halfway between Tikrit and Kirkuk in Bayji.

Eisenbraun was profiled recently in the Walter Reed Medical Center Stripe newspaper. Eisenbraun was recovering at Walter Reed from leishmaniasis at the time. Leishmaniasis is an infection developed from the bite of sand fleas.

In his interview by Stripe staff writer Jack L. Gillund, the former computer company employee says "Any time the infantry is going into a situation where they could take hostile fire or they could make contact, they're supposed to have a medic.

"My primary mission, should we come into contact with the enemy, is to treat any injuries that we receive." Should his patrol pick up any detainees (enemy prisoners of war) he is also responsible for treating their injuries until the ambulance or evacuation can arrive.

While the 42 infantry soldiers in his platoon are on foot patrol, there may be several Bradleys operating in the same area. If a Bradley crew member is injured Eisenbraun is responsible for his care as well.

He feels his first time that he treated a serious casualty in the field was probably his worst time. While on patrol with his squad, Eisenbraun says a Bradley in the area ran over a land mine and damage was severe. He says of the seriously injured driver, "He was sitting right on top of where the land mine went off. Waiting for the ambulance to arrive to evacuate him seemed like a day." All told, on ground it was about an hour.

He sees a wide variety of injuries besides gunshot wounds, and says he's treated approximately 100 war related injuries since signing on as a medic for Uncle Sam.

Being sent to Iraq was a scary prospect for the young Soldier. "All of a sudden it just hits you that these 40-some people, if something bad happens, their lives are in your hands. You could very well be the person responsible for saving their lives.

When you get out there, you don't want to fail your mission."