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Letter to the editor

Service abroad brings new perspective

An Army doctor returns from Germany with a new appreciation for the sacrifices of others.

By TAMARA EL-KHOURY
Published July 1, 2007

When plastic surgeon and Army reservist Christopher Schaffer was called to serve two weeks at a hospital in Germany, he expected grueling, complicated work and an eye-opening experience.

It turned out he was half right.

Going in, Schaffer, 42, a major and the founder of the Aesthetic Institute of West Florida in Largo, braced himself to do major reconstructive surgery on soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But the daily arrival of injured soldiers to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center means that the hospital can't keep them long enough for reconstructive surgery. So most of the surgeries Schaffer did were cosmetic.

No matter.

Schaffer's interactions with soldiers and the medical staff gave him a new perspective on his blessings and others' sacrifices.

"It really makes you think about what you're doing relative to what they've done, " he said. "It just makes you thankful - thankful for the country that you live in, thankful for the freedoms that you have."

And as he served, he kept a journal. Here are some excerpts from June 3 to June 14:

Day 1: June 3

"I met some soldiers outside the barracks recovering from injuries or surgery largely due from fighting 'down range.' One comment that stuck in my mind: 'Can't wait to get back down range. That's where my friends are.' "

Day 3: June 5

"I went to ICU, where the most seriously injured soldiers are taken after being medevaced from Iraq or Afghanistan. One soldier stood out - a private, 20 years old. ... His head looked like a pumpkin with raccoon eyes. ... Through the plastic I could see his abdomen gaped open nearly 10 inches. ... The head nurse who led me on a tour of the unit told me he was actually fortunate in that he still had four intact extremities."

Day 9: June 11

"Back at the barracks after work, met some down-range soldiers who were billeted adjacent to us. They were on 'medical hold, ' meaning they were convalescing from physical or psychological injuries or surgery and were waiting to either go home or back down range. They would regularly congregate at a picnic table in the commons area between our buildings to smoke, drink beer and exchange stories. Many were drunk or on their way - the alcohol a cheap and easy balm for their physical and mental ailments. Thankfully, I could only imagine what they had experienced. I did not and would not judge them."

Day 10: June 12

"I walked over to the Real - Germany's version of Target - with some enlisted personnel. ... I asked the down-range guys why they had enlisted. One was in nursing school and ran out of money. The Army was a solution for his financial issues. ... The other soldier was encouraged for a long time by his father to join the military. His father died in the last year and this loss led to his enlistment as a tribute to his dad - a decision he doesn't regret.

Both were bitter about the three-month extension of their one-year tours, lamenting that would take them into another summer in the desert.

During (those) months temperatures range from 130 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade to 150 degrees Fahrenheit out of it. I tried to imagine 150-degree heat and just couldn't comprehend it. Add on layers of (army combat uniforms), Kevlar helmet and full body armor, it just amazed me the body could adapt. Both of them said a breeze was like a hair dryer on the hot setting. Neither soldier felt Iraq would ever be stabilized."

Day 12: June 14

"We were leaving for home tomorrow, so today was a free day to relax or travel. I had met two reserve JAG (judge advocate general) officers earlier in the week. We had all expressed some interest in going to Luxembourg. The highlight of this day trip was the American military cemetery outside of Luxembourg city. During the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, Patton's Third Army had liberated Luxembourg from the Nazis. ...

As I walked among the over 5, 000 crosses and Stars of David, I couldn't help noticing how nearly all were privates or other low-ranked enlisted personnel. There was no birth dates on the markers, but it was safe to assume that most of these men were in their late teens or early 20s - not unlike the dead and injured today.

Although the reason for fighting today is more a shade of gray than black and white like it was in World War II, the young enlisted soldiers that do the fighting and dying remains a constant."

[Last modified June 30, 2007, 22:01:08]