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Airman battled cancer, returns to fly missions

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jasmine Reif
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
"Before I was diagnosed, I was like everybody else, I thought I was bulletproof," said Lt. Col. Kurt Barry, 128th Expeditionary Air Command and Control Squadron, E-8C mission crew commander. 

In October 2004, while serving a staff tour in Europe, Colonel Barry had his annual physical and was surprised when the doctors told him his white blood cell count was high. He was given several exams, and then a CAT scan; afterwards he said his life was forever changed when the doctor informed him he had cancer. 

"It hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't see straight, I felt dizzy, I had to sit down and from that moment my life changed forever," Colonel Barry said. 

Before he had time to process what was happening, he was rushed into surgery the next day and doctors removed the tumor from his abdomen. 

"They operated on me before I even had time to call home," he said. "In retrospect, it was the best thing because I learned that you want to treat cancer like taking a weed infesting a flower bed out with a nuke." 

After the operation, Colonel Barry had to wait for the incision to heal before he could go to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for follow-on radiation / chemotherapy. 

"The worst experience came when I went to Walter Reed in January 2005, he said. "At first I thought it wasn't so bad. I initially didn't feel tired or any other effects, but as time wore on I started to feel very exhausted and weak." 

The treatments lasted seven weeks and having the support of family and friends and his faith in God, is what he said got him through this difficult time. 

During his time at the medical center, he had the opportunity to talk to Lance Armstrong, who had come back from a much more advanced cancer, and went on to win seven Tours de France. 

"From that moment, I thought of Lance's words, "mile by mile..." I would keep my goals in sight and continue to make progress toward them, Colonel Barry said. "As a flier I was put on non-flying status when I was diagnosed, and my goal was to come back and fly again." 

Later that year after being diagnosed, he traveled to Paris to see Lance Armstrong win his seventh Tour de France. He said it inspired him to reach his goal of coming back. 

He didn't want to be separated from the Air Force, so he started working out every day, even prior to radiation and chemotherapy treatment. 

"My treatments were at 1 p.m. and I was pretty much a vegetable for the rest of the afternoon after them," he said. "In the morning I would work out the best I could, even if I could only do a mile on the treadmill or half an hour on the cross trainer. It was my inch-by-inch goal. So I would go get treatment, pass out and do it again the next day. Everyday I woke up alive, I told myself 'okay, get moving' and I would force myself." 

When the treatments were over, Colonel Barry went back to Europe, and being on a non-flying tour allowed him the time to figure out how he was going to get back on flying status. 

"I needed to pass my Air Force Physical Fitness Test. I knew I wouldn't score a 95 like I had before, but I worked out hard and watched what I ate and scored an 80. That was one more goal accomplished," he said. 

He was scheduled to go through a medical evaluation board and needed strong support from his leadership to keep him in the Air Force. 

"I was going through regular quarterly medical evaluations, because they want to see if you have anything left over from your cancer. Everything came back negative. I submitted the package to the medical evaluation board and they came back with a recommendation for me to return to flying status. With that, my second and third goals were reached." 

His next goal was getting assigned to a combat flying unit, and with today's Air Force he said it wasn't hard. He was re-assigned back to JSTARS, but found much resistance in getting him a waiver to fly again. 

"It was probably very complicated to get me qualified to fly again, and I have to thank two squadron commanders, and the 128th ACCS members who helped me, said Colonel Barry. "One squadron commander is deployed here, Lt. Col. Robert Campbell, the 128th EACCS commander. They took the time to help me re-qualify back into the jet. This may seem like a small task, to just call the flight scheduler and tell them to put me on a flight, but for me it was huge because I was finally getting back to flying status." 

He passed his check ride and got a waiver to deploy and feels this is his culmination of coming back from a debilitating condition. 

"My message is that you can't let anything get you down," Colonel Barry said. "Sure, this is a very life changing event and one of the things that changed for me was I was religious before, but now I'm deeply aware that there is a higher power. I had faith that God would help me through." 

He feels that there are four important steps to overcoming a life altering medical condition and that staying focused and making goals will get you through. 

Step one is having the attitude that you're going to fight it," he said. "Medical treatment of cancer has improved since 20 years ago, and I'm thankful for that. 

Step two is going through treatment. I've met people who were fine at the beginning of their treatment, but as the weeks went on they were sick and I was there to help them out, Colonel Barry said. Just realize that treatment is an ordeal that you have to go through. 

Step three is having the support of family and friends. Having those people there for you or to sympathize with you really helps, he said.
Step four is getting back to normal, getting back to where you were and realizing that there are going to be some changes in your life, Colonel Barry explained. 

"A big change for me is the regular checkups including CAT scans, MRI and blood work. I have no control over it. These checks are necessary since with each "negative" result, that is another step toward remission. Part of getting back to normal is educating other people by saying 'I need this time off for my medical checks, I'm not goofing off, I just have to get this done because I want to continue to serve in the Air Force and defend my country.'" 

Colonel Barry says he doesn't live in fear that the cancer might come back, for that would be giving in to the disease. He urges everyone to take their medical exams seriously. If they find out their family has a history of cancer, then get checked out if something doesn't feel right or if they find a bump anywhere. 

His last goal is one that was delayed when he was diagnosed. 

"I made my flying goal and am here flying combat missions and my last goal is to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania," Colonel Barry said. "I was supposed to do it with a bunch of buddies before I was diagnosed. It's the largest free standing mountain in the world. 

"Just remember that with the right attitude you can make it through anything and reach your goals. I see life very differently now and don't take things for granted," Colonel Barry said. "It's good to be flying high again."