American Trilogy

May 8, 2012

Since I am back to "The Homefront" I have renamed my blog. Naming a blog is daunting, so when I reached out to my colleagues I received all kinds of input.

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A Woman for the Job

May 1, 2012

Last month I promised to tell you what my plans are and now it is official. Clearly I'm not one for short and simple titles so I have gone from Deputy Commander for Medical Task Force East (Afghanistan) to Director of Service Line Development for Women's Health, Orthopedics, and Neurovascular Services. That is a mouthful and I am not sure what I'll abbreviate it to.

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Mini Me and Buster

April 18, 2012

After working 16-hour days, seven days a week for over 52 weeks, I can't believe how fast the work weeks and weekends fly by now that I'm home. Sunday night comes and I can't believe the weekend is over and I have to go to work on Monday, and then before I know it it's Friday and I face a long to-do list.

Finally, a sunny weekend and I was able to get out into the garden and fix the irrigation and mulch the ground that grew plush green-tree-sized weeds all last year. I am so excited to plant things that will grow and become green. My son, however, was not so thrilled by the digging of holes, fixing the drip system, and planting blackberries.

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My Transition to Pink Begins

March 29, 2012

In February the PR department asked me how I would like to close my deployment blog since my return from Afghanistan and my answer was "Not." I proposed that I transition my blog from Green to Pink. Let's call this one the transitional piece. After 15 months of walking around in uniform, armed and vigilant, my transition to civilian life has been very interesting.

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Privileged to Serve, Happy to be Home

March 20, 2012

I am finally home and have closed my personal chapter on Afghanistan just in time. It was a very productive year, the best job in the world supporting our nation's brightest members who continue to sacrifice everything for our country. But the location left a lot to be desired and of course I missed my freedom, family, friends, and colleagues. Amazingly, less then 1 percent of the U.S. population serves in the all volunteer U.S. Armed Forces and I feel privileged to have done so.

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I'm back in the U.S. of A.!

February 7, 2012

By the time you read this I will be back in the U.S. of A.! I'm on my way to the post office one last time to decrease my baggage. After all, I believe that if you can't carry it; you shouldn't bring it (so I'll mail it!).

We will get locked down in Customs in two days at 1:30 a.m., (yes that is in the morning) before flying to Kyrgyzstan and then on to Ft. Lewis, Wash. I have spent a good part of this week saying goodbye to friends I have met over the past year. We are truly a joint force here and I have fostered partnerships and friendships with soldiers and civilians from Poland, Korea, Egypt, Malaysia, and Canada, as well as with airmen, Marines, and sailors. Some are acquaintances and some have become trusted friends and colleagues.

Between meetings, briefings, and transition training, I have made my rounds and said goodbyes. It's amazing how fast bonds form when you are sharing common goals, missions, threats, losses and disasters.

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No Rest for the Weary

January 24, 2012

1st Cavalry Division Commander MG Allen with Col. Jane Prather and some of her staff inside Craig Joint Theatre Hospital. They were each presented the Commanding General's Coin for Excellence.

I was hoping my last two weeks here would be quiet and uneventful. No such luck. Last week we received seven French coalition soldiers from the tragic Afghan National Army shooting outside of Kabul.

These casualties were brought in directly from the point of injury compared to the usual casualties this hospital receives from other smaller forward surgical teams (FSTs). This means that they were bloody and still traumatized. The hospital staff here showed their true colors; providing the best healthcare in the world! The French Ambassador, the French Minister of Defense and many General Officers came to the hospital over the past several days to visit the survivors of this tragedy. I am the Task Force Commander for my last two weeks here, so no rest for the weary.

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Education and Reformation

January 10, 2012

They say there are only four things to do here in theatre: work, work out, eat, and sleep. I propose a fifth: education.

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Christmas Gifts from Home

December 20, 2011

Tuesday I received three care packages in the mail. The first package I received was from Ms. Karen Harris and the NorthBay Management Team. I mentioned to Karen that although the hospital received hundreds of donated Christmas stockings for the staff here; none were available to my Army Task Force staff.

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The Replacements

December 6, 2011

	Bagram cityscapes outside Entry Control Point 3 (ECP3)

One of my favorite movies of all time is called "The Replacements," starring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. It's the story of a bunch of "scab" football players that fill in for an NFL team during a professional football player strike. It is a comedy. A few weeks ago a team from the 94th Combat Support Hospital - they are some of our replacements - were here in Afghanistan for a Pre-Deployment Site Survey.

This is a reconnaissance mission to determine what additional learning and training they need to attain in the next few months before they arrive for their 10 month deployment. It took them six days to get here from Texas and they were visibly tired and frustrated when they arrived in the middle of the night.

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