Dr. Brian Eastridge discussed land mines, baseball games and hisloving wife during a meeting of the Alpha Epsilon Delta PremedicalHonor Society on Wednesday.
Eastridge, who is a critical care and trauma surgeon at theUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and a Lt. Col. inthe U.S. Army Reserves Medical Corp, served a seven-month tour inAfghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
During medical school at the University of Maryland, Eastridgedecided to join the army “for giggles.” Although it didnot significantly fund his education, he said he enjoys theadrenaline of caring for the injured in high-intensity situations.After 16 years in the army, he was first called to war when theconflict in Afghanistan started.
“My wife wishes I’d quit yesterday,” Eastridgesaid.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 as part of a forwardsurgical team to support the Special Forces. The concept for theteam was created during the Gulf War, when the need for rapidlydeployable surgery capabilities became increasingly necessary.
He said that his team of 22, ranging from surgeons, nurses,technicians and medics, was especially fortunate to consist ofpeople who practiced medicine regularly and not just in theirmilitary units. At Fort Bragg, the team trained to work undercombat conditions in tents and small spaces, as well astransporting and evacuating in Black Hawk helicopters.
One of the many injuries Eastridge’s team encountered inAfghanistan was a 12-year-old shepherd who lost part of his foottrying to reclaim a sheep that had strayed from his flock. Knowingthat he would be in trouble if he lost the valuable source of moneyand food, the boy ventured into a minefield after the animal.
The country is the most heavily mined region in the world; 40million mines, some between 30 and 40 years old, can be foundacross the lands. To illustrate the saturation of mines inAfghanistan, Eastridge said the area immediately surrounding DallasHall could be filled with 60 mines. The mines’ purpose is notto kill but to maim, and he said they now seem to seek out womenand children who detonate them accidentally.
The war began to feel real to Eastridge the first time the teamwas unable to reach an injured U.S. soldier in time. He explainedthe frustration he experienced knowing that in Dallas, he couldhave been saved; however, lengthy and difficult evacuationscomplicate and prevent even the simplest of procedures.
“I’d never experienced anything quite likethis,” Eastridge said. “Freedom is not free.”
However, Eastridge emphasized that his team was not constantlyperforming surgeries. In their free time, the team members builtrudimentary workout equipment to help them stay in shape.Afghanistan was a “great diet plan,” he joked, as mostof the soldiers lost 20 to 50 pounds during their time there. Theyalso offered basic health care and other services to thepeople.
“The people really want us there,” he said.”They see Americans as a plus to try to rebuild theircountry,” despite what the media might often portray, hesaid.
Eastridge’s team also kept busy with various humanitarianprojects, including building schools, collecting school suppliesand teaching the children how to play baseball. The children lovedit, he said, and they even sent President Bush two signedbaseballs.
By the end of the tour, Eastridge’s team encountered 1,000patients, performing 136 procedures on 80 patients with a 2.5percent mortality rate. Of those, they performed 33 procedures on25 American soldiers, with a 0 percent mortality rate.
He ended the presentation with a picture of his 22-month-old sonand his wife, Maggie. He thanked her, and said, “It’sshe who has to worry if I’m coming home again.”
