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Santa Claus visited newly promoted Illinois Army National Guard Maj. Tammy Duckworth on Dec. 21, 2004, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where she is undergoing treatment after being severely injured in Iraq on Nov. 12. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the helicopter that Duckworth was piloting and most of her two legs have been amputated. U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Bob Haskell[/caption]
The lady in the wheelchair was too busy swapping stories about flying helicopters, asking about her outfit's 300 or so soldiers still serving in Iraq, and making her point that she plans to continue serving this country. There was no chance for anyone to lament the fact that most of her two legs are missing and that her severely damaged right arm was encased in a hinged splint.
"I hope this is the worst thing that happens to anyone in the 106th during this deployment," the UH-60 Blackhawk pilot smiled warmly on the first day of winter. "This is not so bad. There is always somebody worse off than you are. I'm just glad it was me and not one of my guys out there."The lady in the wheelchair was too busy swapping stories about flying helicopters, asking about her outfit's 300 or so soldiers still serving in Iraq, and making her point that she plans to continue serving this country. There was no chance for anyone to lament the fact that most of her two legs are missing and that her severely damaged right arm was encased in a hinged splint.
Lt. Gen. Roger Schultz, director of the Army National Guard, and other leaders from the Army Guard's Readiness Center in nearby Arlington, Va., were there. The adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Randal Thomas, and five other Guard members from Illinois were there. So was State Senator Chris Lauzen from Illinois's 25th District.
They gathered in the afternoon, four days before Christmas, to surprise Duckworth with her promotion from captain to major and to present her with an Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal. She was presented a Purple Heart on Dec. 3.
Duckworth is a native of Hawaii, and her mother and father flew from their home in Pearl City to spend the holidays with her and her husband. Her brother and members of her husband's family also visited.
Life for Maj. Tammy Duckworth, 36, and her husband, Illinois Army Guard Capt. Bryan Bowlsbey, has changed dramatically since the afternoon of Nov. 12. That's when a rocket propelled grenade hit the chin bubble of the Blackhawk she was piloting in Iraq and exploded between her legs, according to the on-line journal her husband is writing.
Her copilot, from the Missouri Army Guard, landed the crippled Blackhawk before other crewmembers, air ambulance personnel and doctors began working feverishly to save her life, Bowlsbey stated. The helicopter's crew chief, Spc. Kurt Hannemann, from Illinois was apparently hurt but "was listed as not seriously injured," Illinois Guard officials reported.
Duckworth lost half of the blood in her body, said the woman who had served in Iraq with the Illinois Army Guard's 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation, an assault helicopter unit, since last March. All three bones in her right arm were broken but have since been pinned and plated together.
Nearly all of her right leg has been amputated, and she has lost her left leg beneath the knee. Her left leg will be fitted with a prosthesis, and Duckworth is grasping at every hope that she can also be fitted with a right-leg prosthesis, her husband explained, so she can again fly helicopters or fixed-wing airplanes or at least remain in the Army Guard.
"Remaining a soldier is her fall-back position," her husband told a reporter while Duckworth talked and joked with her visitors. "She will try to fly Blackhawks with prostheses after a long recovery period. She will go before a medical review board in six months or a year. Their decision may depend on whether she can pass a physical fitness test."
"It's always a privilege to wear the uniform," said Duckworth who has been assured she can return to her civilian job when she is able, her husband added. She is the manager of Rotary service clubs in the Asian-Pacific area for Rotary International.
Bowlsbey knows the drill because he is also an Army Guard officer, a captain and the commander of Charlie Company, 133rd Signal Battalion. He works fulltime for the Army ROTC program at Northern Illinois University, in De Kalb, where, coincidentally, Duckworth earned her commission in 1992.
She joined the Army Reserve and went to flight school and then joined the Illinois Army Guard in 1996, said her husband of more than 10 years. It is important for her to keep her wings.
No one was betting against the determined woman who had undergone surgery many times by Dec. 21 and who gave every impression of having come a long way in the days since being shot down. She was still learning to maneuver her electrically powered wheelchair because it was only the third time she had been up from her bed since arriving at Walter Reed on Nov. 18.
"We're so proud of one of our finest," praised Lauzen. "My first priority is taking care of soldiers who we are fortunate enough to have come home to us. I'm here to express the love, respect and appreciation of the people of Illinois."
"She is a person of unusual strength and unusual courage and tremendous personal discipline," said Lt. Gen. Schultz. "Just being around her gives you a sense of appreciation for the people who make our Army the organization that it is." Walter Reed is filled with patients and practitioners who accentuate the positive.
"The medical team here has done an incredible job of fixing Tammy so far," Bowlsbey stated. "They did a miracle job of rebuilding her right arm. They reattached her triceps, and they rebuilt all three bones."
Other patients were equally upbeat about their lot.
"I'm doing OK. This could be a lot worse," North Carolina Army Guard Sgt. Dale Beatty, a double amputee, told Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum who visited the medical center on Dec. 15. Beatty's six-month-old son Lucas lay beside him on his bed.
Beatty, with a certain sense of pride, showed his visitors a photo of the Humvee in which he was riding when an antitank mine shredded the front of the vehicle and cost Beatty both legs beneath his knees. President George Bush pinned a Purple Heart to the left sleeve of Beatty's T-shirt, bearing the slogan "Strong to the Finish," on the same afternoon that Duckworth was promoted.
"We saw probably some of the most magnificent Citizen-Soldiers who have ever volunteered to answer the call to colors for this country," said Blum after visiting Beatty and other Guard soldiers. "They are battle wounded, some with life-altering wounds, but their spirit has not been broken. They still have the warrior ethos. They still live the Army values."
That means, in the words of The Soldier's Creed, "I will never accept defeat. I will never quit." It also means, as soldiers frequently say, "driving on."
"In the final analysis, from the time she swore the Oath of Enlistment, ... she has been honored to €˜obey the orders of the President of the United States and the officers appointed over' her," wrote Bowlsbey in Web journal. "This applies to all lawful orders, and nothing can negate that obligation. She still does not regret that commitment. Tammy has rededicated herself to the mission, chosen some long and short-term goals, and is moving forward."
Distributed by www.SupportOurTroops.org
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Linda Tompkins left Portland, Oregon in early August to serve as a civilian in Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. Army photo[/caption]
"I've loved being involved in raising awareness and money for breast cancer, but as important as that has been to me, coming [to Baghdad] has been even more important. I really know we're making a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people. The Corps[of Engineers] is building schools and roads and power plants. We're building the whole infrastructure of a new [democracy]."
For the past five years Linda served as a walker and a coordinator for "Christine's Dream Team," a team of twenty eight walkers who all were breast cancer survivors."I've loved being involved in raising awareness and money for breast cancer, but as important as that has been to me, coming [to Baghdad] has been even more important. I really know we're making a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people. The Corps[of Engineers] is building schools and roads and power plants. We're building the whole infrastructure of a new [democracy]."
Eight years ago, Linda discovered she had breast cancer when her doctor called her at her office. She cried the entire twenty-five mile trip to her Portland home, sure she was going to die.
When she arrived home her husband Jim looked down from repairing a roof to see Linda standing in the back yard with tears streaming down her face. He could hear her sobbing and he knew then the mammogram result.
Only six years into their marriage, the couple faced a life or death obstacle, but they faced it together.
"Jim was unbelievably supportive. Would you believe, no matter the sacrifice, he went with me to every single doctor's appointment."
Only a month after her doctor called her with the disturbing news, she went into surgery for a double mastectomy with tram-flap reconstruction. The operation was a complete success. She has had no further signs of cancer.
"I only got the initial exam because my sister had just had her own breast cancer surgery, but I was five years younger and never thought I would get cancer."
"I changed a lot from the experience," Linda says. "Before my breast cancer I was a real wallflower, very shy. After this, I feel free."
Meeting Linda now, you would never know she was once a wall flower. She is a gregarious outgoing red head, but to meet her now, you would have to fly half-way around the world - to a war zone.
"I went to work for the Army Corps of Engineers in 1999. Until coming here [to Baghdad, Iraq] I worked in the Portland District at the Hydroelectric Design Center."
"I started working on the paperwork last summer knowing that the Army needed volunteers to help rebuild Iraq. It took me three months of making arrangements, but last August I flew into this great adventure."
One person glad she is here is her supervisor, in the Real Estate Department, Ann Volz.
"Linda brings an energy and an enthusiasm for our work that really helps. She is aggressive and speaks her mind. She has had to be a quick learner as she has taken on a lot of work outside her specialty. She fills in our gaps and keeps the office together while we conduct our critical mission."
You won't get any argument from the Division Commanding General Thomas Bostick, "Linda works in our Real Estate department helping fulfill a crucial mission. As many construction projects as we have started, we try to ensure every lease of private property is at a fair market value. The Real Estate office works throughout the whole country of Iraq doing this."
When asked about the hardest part of being here, Linda said, "It is hard being here, but [the hardest part is] not the scary rockets or mortars or car bombs. I just spent Christmas without my family and I have two little girls at home that miss their grandmother terribly."
Including Thanksgiving, and with New Year looming, Linda faces her third major holiday away from her family. These are holidays that she didn't have to be in Iraq. Originally, Linda was supposed to go home in time for Christmas. Her original volunteer tour was only for four months.
"But once I got here and got to know some of the local Iraqis, I could see how much our work meant here. That's why I volunteered to stay two more months." Linda's six months in Iraq ends in January with her having missed the cancer walk and the holidays. She feels fulfilled because she feels her priorities are straight.
Linda advocates regular self-exams and early mammograms. She knows the earlier breast cancer is discovered, the better chance of survival a person has.
"If I hadn't had my breast cancer, I would never have had the inner strength to come to this war. I know I am a stronger person for what I have survived. Now I am able to use that strength to help in this struggle. I have so much to be thankful for."
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German Lt. Gen. Wolf-Dieter Loser (right) gets a bird's eye view from the cockpit of an A-10 "Warthog" by U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mike Bumpus during the general's recent visit to Bagram Airbase, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Mike Nicolson[/caption]
At the end of his tour, the general presented Bumpus with a commemorative coin - a fitting end to what Bumpus says has been an exciting tour.
"(The A-10 is) a great aircraft to fly, I always liken it to riding a motorcycle or a sports car, it's responsive and enjoyable" U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mike Bumpus.At the end of his tour, the general presented Bumpus with a commemorative coin - a fitting end to what Bumpus says has been an exciting tour.
Bumpus, an A-10 flight commander with the "Cajuns" based in New Orleans, is an airline pilot in his civilian job and flying passenger jets for the airlines is a far cry from flying the A-10.
His single-seat ground attack aircraft is no more than a large gun with wings and has worked hard in Afghanistan, affording close air support to all kinds of security operations. Its advanced sensory equipment offers security forces an all-seeing eye in the sky and can track fugitives on the run until they are apprehended.
"It's a great aircraft to fly, I always liken it to riding a motorcycle or a sports car, it's responsive and enjoyable" said Bumpus. "The highlight of this tour for me has been the chance to work closely with the other units here.
"In the main, our role is to look after our guys, and serving here has been a real privilege."
But the work is by no means straight forward.
"The altitude, mountains, dust and extremes of weather are in themselves very challenging," he said. "The conditions make you work hard and I think we're all better pilots for the experience."
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[caption id="attachment_3587" align="alignleft" width="308"]
USS Wasp sailors wait patiently to purchase an autographed copy of Petty Officer 1st Class John Heatherly's debut book entitled "Earth Whispers." The book of poetry includes more than 100 poems offering Heatherly's views on life, death, love, and earth. Wasp is undergoing maintenance at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. U.S. Navy photo by Signalman 3rd Class Derrick Ingle[/caption]
For some people, such a scenario doesn't exactly illustrate a promising future. Don't utter that to 14-year Navy veteran and author Petty Officer 1st Class John G. Heatherly II, however.
USS Wasp sailors wait patiently to purchase an autographed copy of Petty Officer 1st Class John Heatherly's debut book entitled "Earth Whispers." The book of poetry includes more than 100 poems offering Heatherly's views on life, death, love, and earth. Wasp is undergoing maintenance at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. U.S. Navy photo by Signalman 3rd Class Derrick Ingle[/caption]
For some people, such a scenario doesn't exactly illustrate a promising future. Don't utter that to 14-year Navy veteran and author Petty Officer 1st Class John G. Heatherly II, however.
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JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska €“ His eyes were lifeless and empty, staring up at her from the gym floor. She could hear his ribs cracking with each compression, but she knew she couldn't stop.
PHOTO: Army Spc. Kayla Richie, a combat medic, used CPR chest compressions and an automatic external defibrillator alongside another soldier to revive a military family member who collapsed at the Buckner Physical Fitness Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 27, 2014. Richie is assigned to 2nd Engineer Brigade, U.S. Army Alaska. U.S. Air Force photo by Justin
If she stopped, those eyes would never see life again.
"That was the worst part," said Army Spc. Kayla Richie, a combat medic with U.S. Army Alaska's 2nd Engineer Brigade here.
"It was a Wednesday, just a regular day I guess," said Richie said. "I was just going for a quick workout. I couldn't stay long, because I had a Bible study to go to."
But Sept. 17 turned out to be anything but ordinary.
"I think I was using the ropes, and a gym attendant came up to talk to me," she recounted. "I figured someone had rolled their ankle or something. They know I'm a medic, and whenever someone gets hurt, they will occasionally ask me to check it out."
Richie never expected what was about to happen next. Amber Fraley, a recreation assistant at Buckner Physical Fitness Center told Richie that someone apparently had passed out on the basketball court and didn't seem to be breathing.
Responding to the Scene
Richie ran to the court and saw the player sprawled on the court. Fraley already was on the phone with a 911 diospatcher.
"You could tell he passed out," Richie said. "You could tell by how his body was laid out. A lot of times, when someone is passed out, they will do quick, shallow breaths as their body tries to get oxygen back to their brain. He wasn't even doing that."
Richie pushed through the crowd around the fallen player and was quickly at his side. "I rolled him over to check for breathing," she said. "He wasn't. I couldn't find a pulse. I thought it might be because my hands were shaking and my adrenaline was going, so I took a breath and tried again."
Richie said she told the nearest bystander to go find an automatic external defibrillator, and then another man appeared - a man Richie wouldn't identify until the next day.
Colonel Joins the Effort
"I know CPR too," said Army Col. Scott Green, who is scheduled to be the next commander of the 25th Infantry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team.
Richie went to the patient's left side, and the colonel took position at his head to position him for rescue breathing. If his head was angled too far, Green could risk blowing air into his stomach instead of his lungs.
Richie put her hands on the basketball player's gray, quickly cooling skin, and began the first set of compressions"I could hear his ribs crunching," Richie said. "I don't know if I broke them, but I had to keep going, you know?"
Green leaned down to begin rescue breathing after the 20th compression, but Richie knew the recommended number of compressions before beginning rescue breathing had changed. "No! It's 30 now!" Richie said as she continued compressions.
Still No Vital Signs
When Richie finished the 30th compression, Green gave two rescue breaths. While he did this, Richie frantically ripped off the weight gloves she still had on from working out. They checked the player's vital signs. There were none, so they started over.
"I was so scared I was shaking," Richie recalled. "I just kept thinking and praying, 'Oh God, please let this guy come back.' But it just didn't look good."
Toward the end of the second set of compressions, Fraley came running onto the scene with an automatic external defibrillator. Several people ran to help get the packaged device unwrapped and ready for use.
"One gentleman was pulling the pads out while someone else positioned the unit," said Chad Personius, a lifeguard at the fitness center. "I grabbed the pads and started applying them."
Personius positioned himself on the patient's right side and applied the pads as Richie continued compressions. The automated system already was attempting to analyze the patient's vital signs before all the pads could even be applied.
€˜Analysis Complete, Shock Advised'
"Analyzing, do not touch the patient," the primitive male robot voice from the AED said.
"We had to stop, step back and wait for it to do its thing," Richie said, remembering the anxiety of the moment.
Finally, the AED said, "Analysis complete, shock advised."
"Everyone get back!" Richie commanded. "Nobody touch him!"
Personius and Fraley began pushing the crowd back, a friend let go of the man's hand, and the button with the orange lightning bolt on the AED began to flash. Personius pushed it.
"On TV you see them twitch, but this was different," Richie said with a disturbed shudder. "His whole body €¦ jumped. At this point, I'm trying not to cry, because nobody wants to see the one person they think knows what they're doing break down, you know?"
The shock was over in a heartbeat, but there was still no pulse.
While the AED charged, they began the third set of compressions.
The patient's neck strained, tendons bulging against the skin and a sucking sound came from his throat.
"He's trying to breathe! Let's keep going!" Richie exclaimed.
The patient was making short, gurgling breath sounds Richie said. "But he wasn't really breathing," the Mililani, Hawaii, native added. "There was no exhale. I never heard air come out."
Emergency Personnel Arrive
The AED was nearly recharged, and emergency personnel came rushing in with their equipment. "Just keep going until we're set up," they said.
Finally, the AED was ready to analyze again and they stopped compressions to let it do so.
The unique robotic voice said, "No shock advised."
"That's good," Richie said. "That means it's detecting vitals."
As the analysis completed, the emergency personnel took over and began to put intravenous fluids into the fallen player.
"As soon as they put the IVs in, he jumped awake, trying to fight them off," Richie said. "All I could think was, 'Oh thank God. Thank God.'"
Richie received the Army Achievement Medal for her instrumental role in saving the man's life. Richie didn't know that was coming until attending the state-of-the-brigade address. Her noncommissioned officer, Army Staff Sgt. Kelee Williams -- also a combat medic with U.S. Army Alaska's 2nd Engineer Brigade -- asked her, "So what's up with your award?"
"What award?" Richie responded. Then she was called to the front.
"I was trying not to blush, I was so embarrassed," Richie said with a laugh. "I just wanted to tiptoe into the shadows."
Before she had time to think, she heard the command, "Attention to orders!"
Army Lt. Col. Kirt Boston, the rear detachment commander for the 2nd Engineer Brigade and the rear detachment's command sergeant major, Army Command Sgt. Major Bryan Lynch, presented the medal to her.
Tried to Remain Anonymous
Richie said she tried very hard to get away with saving this person's life anonymously. "I didn't tell anybody," Richie said. "My NCO didn't even know. I didn't want them to do all this stuff."
Green praised Richie's handling of the incident.
"I was very impressed with her medical and technical knowledge," the colonel said. "She was very calm and collected. It seemed like just another day for her."
Written Nov. 3, 2014
By Air Force Airman 1st Class Kyle J. Johnson
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Republished and redistributed by permission of DoD.