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June 2005 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Changes
By Capt. H. Scott Tackett
PA-C, MPAS
 Change is the only constant". We've all heard that dozens of times. As Christians, we know that's not entirely true, that our God is the one true constant. He never changes. For us though, change is pretty inevitable…something is always changing. For me, it is career change time. I'm about to wrap up over 20 years of military service. I can't believe how fast it has all gone by. Mostly, I won't miss it. It is time for a change. But, there are things I will really miss…things I thought I'd share with you.
I am currently in Balad, Iraq…affectionately known as "mortaritaville". This is my 6th and final deployment. As I write this I have about a week remaining before I go home for the final time. My family and I have decided it is time for me to stay closer to home. No more leaving for months at a time. No more missed birthdays, anniversaries, holidays…
This deployment actually caught me by surprise. I thought I was going to be able to miss out on the "Iraq Experience". I wasn't scheduled to make this trip, but things happen. About 10 days before Christmas I got word I would be leaving the week after Christmas.
When I broke the news to my family, my middle daughter, Evie, realized I would miss her birthday. She said "that's okay, last time you missed Lexie's birthday so it's fair if you miss mine". What a gentle heart. My oldest and youngest daughters dealt with the news in their own ways and my wife, the absolute love of my life, just took it in stride without missing a beat. That's her way. She didn't complain about the prospect of being a single mom for 4 months, or the last-minute notice, or the plans that would have to be changed. She just loved and supported me.
Here at Balad I work in the busiest emergency department (ED) in all of Iraq. We've performed more resuscitations in four months than the busiest hospital in the Air Force has done in the past two years. I've been privileged to be a part of something so amazing, something so encouraging, there's no way I'll ever forget it. I have seen and been a part of the absolute best humanity has to offer in response to the worst it has to offer.
Last night a rocket landed about 50 feet from us but didn't explode. (That was the second time a bomb landed near me and didn't explode.) As we evacuated, we received 3 badly injured soldiers. Unwilling to leave them we treated them with that unexploded rocket outside our tent. We didn't do it to be heroes we did it because those guys needed us. We did it because they have wives, kids, and parents back home who count on us to take care of their loved ones. Two of the soldiers were badly burned. One of them had escaped being seriously injured by the explosion, but he received 3rd degree burns while pulling his friend from a burning vehicle. That's the kind of selflessness I see frequently.
On another day, we received several badly injured soldiers after their truck ran over a mine. One of them was a medic who suffered a horribly broken leg among other injuries. He applied a tourniquet to his own leg, splinted the break, and pulled himself to the burning truck to get the others to safety. While we fought to save his friends' lives, the medic kept asking "How are the others? Are they alright?" Despite his pain, and his injuries, he was worried about his friends. That's the kind of patient I deal with routinely. I see heroes every day.
You may hear the Iraqis hate Americans. I'm here to tell you, first-hand, they think we do miracles. Parents have brought us their children with deformities, brain tumors, and horrible illnesses…expecting us to provide care and healing…and to the very best of our ability we've done that. Folks back home have contributed to that as well. You wouldn't believe the boxes of stuffed animals and toys people have sent us to give to our young patients to help comfort them in a strange environment.
As my time with the Air Force winds down, I realize that what I will miss most is working day in and day out with people who do what they do because it is the right thing. People who are willing to risk their lives so their kids, my kids, and your kids, can grow up in a safer world than we grew up in. I will miss rubbing shoulders with the heroes. Our nation's heritage is full of examples of normal people performing heroically. If what I've seen during my military service is any indication…our nation's future will be full of the same.
As you read this, I'll be at home, surrounded by my family, wrapping up the last few days of my Air Force career. It has been a good ride, but I'm excited to see what God has in store for me next.
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