A Soldier carries a wounded Iraqi child into the Charlie Medical Center at Camp Ramadi, Iraq, March 20. The child is one of several Iraqis who were attacked by anti-Iraqi forces in western Iraq. (Photo by Lance Cpl. James F. Cline III)
She looks pretty damned young doesn't she? I wonder how working as medic over there is going to affect the rest of her life. Will she come home proud of what she did? Or will it wreck her? Or will it be a little of both? Was she a serious girl before she went over there? Or a flake, or a typical teenage girl? And if she was fun and lively before, has this given her a new level of maturity that will serve her well for the rest of her life? Will she be able to re-integrate with the friends she had before? Or has she outgrown them, and for the next couple of years will she only really feel comfortable around people who've been there, or places like it?
There's been alot of mention in the news the last 4-6 weeks about some survey that shows that college kids today are more self-centered than ever before. More obessed with wealth and fame. I'm guessing this girl wasn't one of those that was surveyed. In my unit there are multiple kids who are (once again) voluntarily putting their college or career or relationship plans on hold while they go back to the desert for the 2nd, 3rd and even 4th time. And most of them are doing it because they believe it's a good mission, because they don't want to let their buddies, unit and country down, and because they want to help the people over there. I can't quite quote the dictionary definition of "selfish" word-for-word, but I know that it doesn't apply to these kids. Or to Malinda's new mechanic.
I love these kids. They frustrate the shit out of me sometimes. I hate the amount of personal time they take away from me because I'm forced to write up counseling statements and the like when they screw up and I hate doing evaluation reports. Frequently they embarrass me or disappoint me when they don't complete an easy task up to my standards. More than once I've been convinced that they are dumber than a box of rocks and that their only purpose in life is to steal my oxygen. But usually they impress the hell out of me. Most of them have developed a sarcastic sense of humor to match my own. The really young ones are almost always smiling and laughing and cracking one another up, no matter how big the suck. Usually all they need is a big attitude adjustment in the beginning and then little adjustments over time and they're awesome. There are some screwups who can't be fixed. And it sure does seem like that percentage is getting bigger all the time. But that's just a reflection of society as a whole. For the most part though they're great. And I just keep praying that God gives me the strength and the wisdom and the patience and courage to never let them down.
17 comments:
Striking photo. It brings so many questions to mind about her.
Wow.
Great post, Sean.
Cripes, is she really 18?????????? So young. So very, very young.
Yeah, I'd say she's about as far from selfish as you can get.
of course i can't help but wonder about the poor iraqi child as well...
Crap Sean, that's deep. Very. I took one look at her and thought she was some high school kid in cammo. I clicked on the photo chanting, as I waited for it to load, "Be big, be big, be big." Big enough. I got to see her face. There is some age there. There is some age in which she lives there. The carry. You could title it that. The carry.
I thought of you the other day. I had to qualify with my 1911 which I hadn't shot for about 7 years. Until Saturday I carried my Glock 21. Without even a warm up I was invited to participate in a shoot/no shoot drill that involved an advancing target with a guy that turned out to have a knife. When I was told I could look up, the runner pulled the target and am ashamed to say that I had not performed a systems check. I'm the old guy. The youngster reserves got to see what happens when you don't do a systems check and you are "sure" you racked a round before stepping down range. They also got to see, to the credit of folks like you, what good training does. Without even thinking I tapped, racked and went. You had posted something about the drill, remember? And I had been thinking lots about it. Thanks. And for training those kids, thanks. G
Chris got it right. Striking. Striking picture. Striking post.
This is the part that I know exists, but I have no idea how to deal with. I've never been there. I can't say "I understand". I can't begin to understand. In all honesty...I don't want to understand.
I'm glad you do. I'm glad there are people like you who know what these kids have to go through, and who can be there when they need ya.
Striking.
Wonderful post, Sean.
If I gave you a cup of flour, two raw eggs, a couple tablespoons of Coacoa, some oil and a cup of sugar to eat you wouldn't touch it.
But if I mixed and cooked them, it would be hard to keep you away.
Life aint all that different from the cake. You have to take it as a whole. Sure there are some bitter parts. But the sweet stuff sort of balances it out.
As soon as I looked at the photo I thought "How old is she? She's really young."
I don't know that I could do that - put my life on hold to go over there and serve. I don't know that it makes me selfish, but maybe. I'm thankful there are people like you though. Someone who is committed to making things at least easier for these kids who are so unselfishly giving up their lives.
I love this post...
You often have a way of making me take a harder look at myself- and I almost always see lots of room for improvment.
Thank you for that~
That "girl" is my wife. Her name is Captain Katy Gibson. She is 30 years old and a US military physician, residency trained as a pediatrician. She graduated from medical school in 2003 and finished her pediatric residency in 2006. I am blessed with a wife who has a heart of gold and I get very emotional when I think of her in harms way. Yesterday due to a chorine laden vehicle born IED detonating near a residental area of Ramadi, she had to accompany 2 severely wounded Iraqi kids on a chopper to Balad. Not a safe thing to do, as helicopter travel has recently become fairly dangerous. I pray for her safe return to me every day. Her tour will be finiched in Feb 2008 and it cannot get hear soon enough. I'm sure she will take it as a complement that you all thought she looks so young. She gets that alot. But she is far from naive. She is a caring physician, with an ability to establish outstanding rapport with any child she treats. If you have any questions about Katy or would like to know more, my email address is gibson_jb@msn.com
I've always loved those people.
Great read Sean...again, you're one of my hero's.
JL4
Have you been extended?
Yes. I have not talked to Katy since a few days ago. But I did hear the announcement by secretary of the army Gates on the news today. I cannot desscribe the helpless feeling you get hearing news like that. 3 more months does not sound long to most people but to me it feels like an eternity. The majority of people in this country go on about their lives, with their ipods in their ears and theree are those of us who are makeing great sacrifices. All the while people in Portland Oregon burn US soldiers in effigy. How do you think that makes me feel?
Dear Annonymous,
I am one of Sean's loyal readers, and I wanted to take a second to answer your last post. I am retired military, two decades worth of time spend serving. As my time was winding down, I sat at a computer and pulled up some calendars for all the years I was in service. A rough calculation was that I spent roughly 7+ years away from my wife and children in various deployments, whether they be training or actual combat.
I have been on the other side, not yours. I can pretty much tell you it's almost easier on the soldier than the dependent. We had a mission to complete - as does your proud and brave wife. Subsequently, those deployed can deal with it easier than those left at home.
What I'm saying to you is this:
Know in your lonliness and sorrow created by this distance, that your wife is cut from the finest cloth the good Lord has ever created - those willing to sacrifice for others. Those willing and courageous enough to stand up for a cause, and follow that cause through to the finish.
Inasmuch as she is one of the strong and brave, so do you as well have to be so in whatever way you can manage.
Those people in Portland wouldn't have the foggiest idea what courage, commitment, and honor is...and they never will. They want all America has to offer, but they want it for free. You can't talk to them, and you can't change their minds, so don't give them a second thought or moment of your time.
Instead, pen an e-mail to your wife. Tell her how proud you are of her, and reassure her that you too are staying strong and vigilant back here at home.
And then wait. Soon enough she'll be with you again.
Lastly, always know the people of this country who DO care recognize and admire you, your wife, and everyone else in your situation. And we love you for it.
Peace.
-JL4
Thank you for those encouraging and comforting words JL4. You put it in perspective for sure. We need more people like you guys. I have asked Sean to post a follow up to the previous post on the photo of Katy.
JB Gibson
Mr Gibson,
No thanks necessary. Thank your wife for me, and that ought to cover it.
JL4
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