Short Timers

My time here at Forward Operating Base Sharana is nearly done. Our replacements have arrived and we will start our long journey back to the United States shortly. In all likelihood, this will be my last blog update from Afghanistan. 

I am proud of what we accomplished here. Sadly, not all of our patients survived their injuries. However, I am confidant that we did our best with each and every patient. I would like to thank both the 1980th FST and the 691st FST for affording me the privilege of serving among you. Without a doubt, the time I spent here in Afghanistan is the most rewarding experience of my military career. Finally, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading my ramblings. I'm humbled by the reception that I have received from many readers of this blog. I'll see you soon.

Cheers,

Randy

Here is my last batch of pictures from FOB Sharana.

Receiving critically injured patients by helicopter.

This picture depicts the placement of an intraosseous line in a critically injured patient.

FOB Sharana at dusk.

Receiving a patient.

I'm easily amused

FOB Sharana perimeter.

MAJ Randall D. Moore, CRNA
1980th/691st Forward Surgical Team
FOB Sharana, Afghanistan

691st FST in Action

I am fast approaching my last few days here at FOB Sharana. My replacement has likely just finished the first leg of his long journey here to Afghanistan. Things have slowed down quite a bit over the last two weeks or so - which is fine by me. I've had my fill of trauma, and it wouldn't bother me one bit if I never saw another war injury again.

Unfortunately, today our respite from trauma was ended. Sadly, this patient was another child. He was an eight year old boy that happened to find an unexploded piece of ordnance. He sustained a traumatic amputation of his right hand. The x-ray below demonstrates the extent of the injury to his hand. The good news is that he will survive this injury.

The following pictures are action shots from various traumas the 691st FST has received over the last month and a half.

Trauma Chaos: Afghan with severe closed head injury.

Same patient as previous picture. The trauma team is struggling to obtain IV access. He was combative and disoriented. I ended up just giving him Ketamine IM in order to sedate him long enough to place an IV. Sadly, his prognosis was not good.

This is a child with a gunshot wound to the back. The gentlemen on the left is a local Afghan physician.

Waiting to accept two patients that both sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds. If you look closely, you can see the second helicopter approaching. I have no idea why I'm wearing a surgical mask in this picture.

ICU team packaging a critically injured patient for transport to Bagram hospital.

Prepositioning for a mass casualty. We are waiting for the helicopters.

MAJ Randall D. Moore, CRNA
691st Forward Surgical Team
FOB Sharana, Afghanistan