The Contract Medic Blog: Let's Roll!!--First Mobile Clinic Experience

Let's Roll!

The View From My Seat

The rear hatch was down the entire flight!

I am in the middle of my first mobile deployment in Iraq, and let me tell you, it has been a HUGE learning experience so far. I knew ahead of time that I was leaving, in fact I knew about three or four days ahead of time that I was leaving, but when it came time to let me know when I was leaving, I had about 45 minutes notice. We had already packed about half of the mobile clinic in a big olive drab sea bag the day before, so it was almost ready to go. It just needed to be finished up with the final test kits and my stethoscope, otoscope, and ophthalmoscope. I ran back to my CHU to pack my ruck with my computer, a book, and a few clothes. It's interesting packing for a trip with 45 minutes notice and with no indication of for how long you're leaving.

I got back to the clinic with a few minutes to spare and finished packing the mobile clinic. Right before I left, the veteran medic in Balad shook my hand and passed on these words of advice, "Remember, pay attention, anything can happen anywhere at any time." He leaned closer, looking into my eyes and stressing every word repeating the words, "Anything can happen anywhere at any time."

The Movement office took me to the Catfish Air PAX terminal and explained how the whole process worked. If you think that flying commercial air is slightly confusing, fly Mil-Air. It's not so much that it is confusing, it's that you have to learn an entire new set of lingo. Showtime, Space-R, Space-A, Space-Block. It takes a little bit to get it all straight in your head. Anyway, I got Space-A'd and had a showtime for one of the Chinook missions that night going to Camp Warhorse.

I really thought a Chinook would be bigger. They are only about the size of a small bus. I was thinking more along the lines of a flying Greyhound. But I was not disappointed with the flight experience. Handing my sea bag with the mobile clinic in it to one of the crew members, the words of a contractor aquaintance came back to me. "Sit near the rear." So I did.

I looked forward towards the cockpit and watched the crew members perform their last pre-flight checks. It really hit home that we were getting ready to fly over hostile territory when I watched the starboard door gunner lock and load his 240B 7.62 mm machine gun.

The engines whined and strained as we began to roll forward, gently rocking back and forth as we taxied to the runway. I certainly saw the wheels on the helo while boarding, but I didn't instinctively understand that the Chinook could roll along the ground like a taxiing fixed-wing. The guy across the aisle motioned at me and yelled, asking me if this was my first time. I read his lips more than heard him. I nodded. He made motions like the chopper was going to rock back and forth even more, and then made vomitting movements. Not the thing that you want to have someone tell you moments before liftoff on your first chopper ride.

Within a few minutes the engines became even louder and the dual props spun faster, and we lifted off. We hovered several feet off the ground for a few minutes while the pilots and crew checked the aircraft one last time. The rear crew member dropped the rear hatch as we lifted into the Balad night. As the lights of JBB faded into the distance, the night completely enveloped us and the whine of the engines became a dull drone.

It was only a ten minute ride from JBB to Warhorse, but it was a beautiful ride. It would have been very peaceful if not for the fact we were flying over unsecured territory.

Got into the PAX terminal at Warhorse and tried to contact GLS movement, but no luck with the first number. Went back to the desk Sgt, got two more numbers. No dice. Interupted his dinner a third time, he had no idea what to do, and went back to eating. I took down a number from the poster on the desk for the Mayor cell. Number didn't work. Disconnected. Dang. Interupted Sgt for the 4th time. He called over a bus drive and asked him if he would get me away from him so he could eat in peace.....uh.....bring the bus around and take me to the Mayor cell. Got to the Mayor cell. They had no idea who to call or what to do, so they put me up in temp billeting. Somehow, my GS rating of GS-12 was high enough to rate me a VIP CHU. I'm not sure what makes it VIP. The horizontal twin bed, nightstand, and locker that are in every single CHU or tent or barracks I have ever been in? I'm not complaining, considering the first CHU they assigned me to was full, making me have to return and listen to two SGTs and a SPC argue over why the board said the CHU was empty, but was really full. Finally got to another CHU, got settled in.

I got to the GLS office the next day and got my mobile clinic set up. Had my first patients today and it went very well. The last guy shook my hand and said, "Thanks, Doc." I finally feel like I'm making a difference.