1 00:00:00,420 --> 00:00:03,170 (dramatic music) 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:15,170 - This is CENTCOM's biggest, baddest, 3 00:00:15,170 --> 00:00:17,913 most capable medical operation in the entire AOR. 4 00:00:19,130 --> 00:00:21,180 We're now toted as a 24 bed hospital, 5 00:00:21,180 --> 00:00:23,760 but we're expandable to 13 ICU beds, 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:25,940 and up to 30 ICW beds 7 00:00:25,940 --> 00:00:27,280 for a total of 43. 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:28,620 So it's amazing what we can do in the middle 9 00:00:28,620 --> 00:00:29,713 of Afghanistan here. 10 00:00:32,290 --> 00:00:34,580 - The whole reason I became a trauma surgeon 11 00:00:34,580 --> 00:00:36,730 was to be a trauma surgeon in the military. 12 00:00:36,730 --> 00:00:39,130 And I think there's no better way 13 00:00:39,130 --> 00:00:40,210 than to connect to the mission 14 00:00:40,210 --> 00:00:41,470 than to be here to take care of those 15 00:00:41,470 --> 00:00:42,860 that are out there doing the fighting 16 00:00:42,860 --> 00:00:44,210 and putting their lives out on the line. 17 00:00:44,210 --> 00:00:46,530 So, without a good, effective trauma team here 18 00:00:46,530 --> 00:00:48,340 to take care of them, that just wouldn't be possible. 19 00:00:48,340 --> 00:00:49,850 So, I feel very strongly about that and 20 00:00:49,850 --> 00:00:51,390 to be able to be there for them, 21 00:00:51,390 --> 00:00:52,580 even if I can't save them. 22 00:00:52,580 --> 00:00:53,845 To be able to be there for them and their family 23 00:00:53,845 --> 00:00:55,660 when things don't go our way 24 00:00:55,660 --> 00:00:57,320 and they're not able to survive their injuries 25 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:58,710 is important because 26 00:00:58,710 --> 00:01:00,870 these folk were getting up to go to work that day. 27 00:01:00,870 --> 00:01:03,480 Or going out on a mission that day with their buddies 28 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,060 and maybe bad things happened. 29 00:01:06,060 --> 00:01:07,310 Let's just repeat our blood pressure, 30 00:01:07,310 --> 00:01:08,770 give it a rest for a secondary survey 31 00:01:08,770 --> 00:01:10,850 and we'll get him packaged up for CAT scan. 32 00:01:10,850 --> 00:01:13,010 - We had one of our patients 33 00:01:13,010 --> 00:01:13,843 that was an individual 34 00:01:13,843 --> 00:01:16,210 described his course was, 35 00:01:16,210 --> 00:01:19,080 he was injured doing special operations. 36 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,110 He's bloodied, he's confused. 37 00:01:21,110 --> 00:01:24,163 There's just the noise of combat going on. 38 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:26,670 He's hurting, he's worried that 39 00:01:26,670 --> 00:01:28,770 he's not gonna see his family. 40 00:01:28,770 --> 00:01:29,603 Next thing you know is, 41 00:01:29,603 --> 00:01:31,630 he's rolling, and when he looks up he sees the flag. 42 00:01:31,630 --> 00:01:32,847 And he said, "I knew I was at Craig," 43 00:01:32,847 --> 00:01:34,480 "I know I'm gonna be safe." 44 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,460 He didn't remember a thing until he woke up at Landstuhl. 45 00:01:37,460 --> 00:01:40,240 So that flag is a huge symbol for our patients, 46 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:41,350 it's a symbol for us, 47 00:01:41,350 --> 00:01:42,548 and it's a very big sense of pride 48 00:01:42,548 --> 00:01:43,863 for me and this facility. 49 00:01:56,470 --> 00:01:58,540 - We have a pretty tremendous team here, 50 00:01:58,540 --> 00:01:59,520 and I think every time, 51 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,010 I'm honestly surprised at how hard people work 52 00:02:03,010 --> 00:02:04,550 in their jobs here everyday. 53 00:02:04,550 --> 00:02:08,290 And even folks, nurses that come from labor and delivery. 54 00:02:08,290 --> 00:02:11,270 And you've got techs that come from outpatient clinics 55 00:02:11,270 --> 00:02:12,780 and they come here and they work in an environment 56 00:02:12,780 --> 00:02:13,930 that they're not entirely used to, 57 00:02:13,930 --> 00:02:15,610 and they really step up to the plate. 58 00:02:15,610 --> 00:02:17,770 And that's really what makes our success 59 00:02:18,810 --> 00:02:19,643 a reality. 60 00:02:24,630 --> 00:02:25,910 - Right on this last rotation, 61 00:02:25,910 --> 00:02:28,920 we had surgeons that were up working for 36 hours, 62 00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:31,460 and I never once saw anybody complain. 63 00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:32,620 They obviously looked tired, 64 00:02:32,620 --> 00:02:34,190 but they were doing the mission 65 00:02:34,190 --> 00:02:35,023 and completing it. 66 00:02:35,023 --> 00:02:36,280 And there's just, 67 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:37,380 they're motivated, 68 00:02:37,380 --> 00:02:38,740 they're proud of what they do, 69 00:02:38,740 --> 00:02:40,760 they see what the end result is. 70 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,230 Which is saving lives and salvaging people. 71 00:02:43,230 --> 00:02:44,650 They're at the top of the game. 72 00:02:44,650 --> 00:02:45,880 They come here, they're hungry, 73 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:47,530 they're eager to perform. 74 00:02:47,530 --> 00:02:49,610 I can't think of a better job in the entire Air Force 75 00:02:49,610 --> 00:02:51,293 than the one that I'm in right now.