Heat Delirium

So, for starters, whatever temperature this blog says it currently feels like in Kirkuk....go ahead and add about 15 degrees to get the ACTUAL temp. I don't usually look at it while I'm writing, but right now it says 97 and it's really 113 outside (as read from our EMEDS double-secret, classified, NASA-prototype thermometer). Not that it matters too much, because every day is either REALLY hot or REALLY, REALLY hot. We did see clouds for the first time about two weeks ago, and they looked so beautiful for the 45 minutes that they lasted (once the sun came up, they burned off almost instantly).

You might wonder why I'm so fixated on the weather today. It's because last week was one of our hottest yet. The Air Force, in its infinite wisdom, uses a measurement system called Heat Stress Condition to determine the safety of being outside each day. The conditions are Green, Yellow, Red and Black, in ascending order of pain. Green is usually only possible at night here, and Black is like living a few miles from the surface of the sun. Last week, we had four straight days of Condition Black with each day being over 120 on our thermometer! I never really thought I'd care about the difference between 115 and 125, but I have a renewed appreciation for these upper-limit temps. So, here's a word-picture that I hope will portray the feeling of outdoor movement (while wearing thick, polyester uniforms, naturally) here at the KRAB.

Imagine the hottest day wherever you might live. If it's not at least 105, then imagine Arizona in the summertime. As you walk outside of your heavily air-conditioned home, the dry heat is choking at first. Then, as you become accustomed and venture further out, a "friend" has kindly set up an industrial-sized fan in your yard, aimed right at you. Only, this isn't a typical fan...it's a massive hairdryer blowing air that feels like it has come straight out of your oven when set to "broil." And, to heighten their enjoyment at your expense, your "friend" throws up several hands full of dusty sand into the back of the fan (because they wouldn't be caught dead in FRONT of the thing) which coat you in a fine mist of silica that sticks to the beads of sweat that NEVER, EVER leave your skin. It kinda makes you wonder what the purpose was of that shower you recently finished? And that would be about how it feels to us each day here at our KRAB paradise.

OK, on the bright side, at least it isn't humid! We have officially passed the halfway point (thank God) and are on the downhill stretch now. And don't read too much into my sarcasm, it's just some minor electrolyte disturbances from profound sweat loss during our run yesterday! We have also enjoyed some more intimate time with automatic weapons (at 1PM, just to see how hot we could make it) and had a great weekend with some good pics coming soon.

Cita and the B-ster....I'm always lovin' you guys!

Hangin' in there

There must be a little-publicized water surplus in the city of Kirkuk, because our FOB decided to have ANOTHER wet and wild event this past weekend. And, naturally, some element of competition is essential to any worthwhile endeavor at a military installation. Thus, in deference to that recent Ben Stiller movie with so many great lines, the Services group put on the KRAB "Water Balloon Dodge Ball Tournament". Sixteen teams of five signed up (yes, there really isn't much else to do on Sunday afternoons) and vied for the title....and, as is often the case, our EMEDS team bested them all and strutted victoriously to Mongolian BBQ night at the DFAC (dining facility...it's important for our intellectual stability that everything has an acronym). We even won digital picture frames as trophies for our effort.

On a more serious note, we finally held the mass casualty exercise for which I had spent a few weeks preparing. Its purposes were to simulate a disaster or attack that injures more patients than our facility can simultaneously treat and to practice our group's response. It went well and several interesting lapses were noted in our system, which have all been addressed. Here are a few images of the ER as we prepare for and then treat our patients.

Don't worry, even with ALL of this excitement in one week, I still found plenty of time for exercise and planning various youthful activities (wait until I describe our skit for the talent show contest at the end of this month!). Our unofficial EMEDS running club meets almost every morning at 0515 and heads out for various distances. We usually have at least 3-5 people, with some mornings hitting 7 or 8. Saturday morning has become our long distance run (meaning multiple loops around the 6 mile route we're allowed to run) and the dust storms have been surprisingly cooperative lately. The morning depicted below was a particularly clear sunrise and I got some great shots from around our base.

I'll conclude with a shot of the cemetery that is within our FOB. We aren't allowed to enter because it's a sacred site for the Iraqis. But, during Saddam's regime, this was engulfed by the Iraqi military base and civilians were denied access. We had a ceremony here last month involving Army and AF chaplains as well as local religious leaders, and some Kirkuk inhabitants got to see their ancestors' graves for the first time in decades. Pretty cool, I thought.

I praise God for this difficult time of separation from my family, knowing that He will grow our characters and marriage though this trial. Thanks to all of our family and friends for their support and prayers. As always....I love you deeply, Cita.

Lotsa pics

Just in case anyone forgot the real reason we were sent on this desert vacation, last week quickly reminded us. We had two trauma activations with four patients each, separated by a couple of days, that indelibly educated our new crew about the potential violence surrounding the KRAB. In keeping with our theme, though, there were no "true" general surgery emergencies that needed fixing, only orthopedic extremity injuries. So, our ortho guy (Jake) let me jump into the fray and externally fix a fractured femur (ie: stabilize with external pins and rods before final internal fixation in Germany or the States). It was fun to have a little something to do, but it really served to remind me why I chose NOT to pursue a career in Orthopedics!

(not one of my usual trade tools)

(our OR has no A/C and is HOT...we're usually swimming in a sweat bath by the end)

I'm sure it will come as a surprise that we managed to find some extra-curricular fun this week as well. Remember that huge vehicle I stood next to for a picture several weeks ago (the MRAP)? Well, we convinced someone to take us for a ride around the KRAB and let us do a little 4x4 action of our own. These behemoth's weigh around 14 tons and are encased in armour with a gunner's turret on top. They were designed to combat the ubiquitous presence of IED's (improvised explosive devices) during the early parts of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. MRAP's (Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected) are all-wheel drive and loaded with electronics, communication and other offensive equipment. The version that we commandeered, though, was a medical MRAP configured to transport patients within the base in the event of a mass casualty situation. In case anyone's wondering, this is definitely NOT a standard (or even allowed) activity. Like that's ever slowed us down before...

(Me in the driver's seat)

(I can hear CJ saying, "Pay attention to the road while you're driving." :)

And, to keep us cooled off during the summer heat, the Fire Dept held their semi-annual Fire Muster last Sunday. This is a multi-event, team challenge involving lots of water and strength drills. Of course, it's well known that this activity was originally developed to show the ladies just how tough and strong our Fire guys can really be (no shortage of testosterone over here). We competed in a tug-of-war, a hose and accuracy drill and a bucket brigade, after which we were in second place overall. Unfortunately, our luck ran out on the final event: the joust (using fire hoses to "push" a bucket along a rope past our opponent's mark). As you can see, a soggy wet and fun time was had by all (water conservation efforts were on hold for this day). And it only took about 30 minutes to dry our shoes out completely in the arid 115 degree heat!

(giving it all we got)

(some tug-of-war losers)

(The Hose Joust: that green bucket is on a rope tied to two fire engines)

(losing the joust and getting soaked)

(our base Commander sharing the love with some of the cheering section)

Cita, you're always in my prayers! I love you...