All photo’s and Website © 2012 JimSpiri.com, All Rights Reserved
March 13, 2012…Forward Operating Base Edinburgh, Helmand
province, Afghanistan. Early this morning I heard some feet
pounding on the plywood that leads outside the area I sleep at.
I awoke and jumped into my pants and slid my shoes on and
entered the operations tent. I asked, "Is there a mission?"
"Yes", came the reply. "Double amp". I then grabbed my
camera, sprinted to the helicopter and buckled in. It was not
yet 6:00 AM. The sky was clear. I had no coffee but was ready.
This was the beginning of the day.
The previous day we had two missions. One was a Georgian
soldier who had been bitten by a scorpion. The Georgians have
seen lots of serious action over the course of time. They have
been a loyal ally for the duration of the war. They are also very
hard core. The other mission was to pick up two bad guys that
had been shot while planting IED's. A third bad was killed.
The two bad guys were medevaced to the facility that handles
more serious wounds. I had been thinking that we only
medevac bad guys lately.
Never get complacent.
As we finished getting our gear on and prepared to depart the
FOB, word came down that there would be a double amp, and
two other injured. We would be going to a place where there
are serious things going on. The crew today would be Mr. Seay the PIC, Major Holland the other pilot, crew chief Felicia Espinosa
and flight medic Zachary Menzie. Also along would be Capt. Kraus, the flight nurse. I would be in the middle seat just behind
the pilots.
Looking out the window I knew we were going to a different area. It looked more manicured and the agricultural look to the
place was actually quite nice. But then again I have a soft spot for the rural look about things and I really love desert farming. It
reminds me of times gone by. Many a time flying over this area I have the thought that I would love to just wander around
talking about farming with the locals. It's been told to me that really isn't the brightest of ideas and deep down I know that to be
true. But, given a different time and no war, I would enjoy the chance to just go exploring the locals and their way of life. Not
gonna happen any time soon though.
As we got closer to the LZ, the pilot began maneuvering in a combat mode. From me, the passengers vantage point, it was
spectacular. It is impossible to describe. I have said it before many times…I love flying in helicopters. I do believe it is part of
the reason I come to these kind of places. Right before we arrived at the POI, the pilot pulled up and back and we floated right
to the exact spot we were supposed to like a feather on a perfectly calm day.
There was nothing calm outside the door.
Up came Afghan soldiers carrying their wounded. Also with them were some Americans. The Afghan soldiers here were not the
typical ones. I knew who these folks were. I had come across such folks on previous embeds up in Paktika province. These
Afghan soldiers are excellent. Each time I see them, I feel the war here is winnable. They are special soldiers. And so are the
ones training them. There is hope. Problem is it comes with a high price. (Picture 1)
Immediately, three wounded were loaded onto the aircraft with their bedding as kind of
sling-litter. In short order, the cabin was full and the injured were crammed in best they
could be. The medic, Sgt. Menzie and the crew chief, Sgt Espinosa, began working
feverishly on the double amp patient. (Pic 2) (Pic3) He was not in good shape. The other
two did not look all that good either. Accompanying them was one of their comrades who
looked to be Tajik. I later found out that all four were Tajiks.
He was very concerned but completely controlled. The look in his eyes was striking. He
motioned to me several times about his one comrade that was not moving so well. I tried
to motion to him not to worry. I wanted to say in some language, "Don't worry son, it will
be alright. These folks are good. They'll take care of your brother in arms". I went back
to snapping photos.
The light was low level and keeping the camera steady was tough again. I've been told there are cameras that actually have this
thing built in them that takes away the shake, but, that seems to cost more than the price of a house. I will continue to make do
with the equipment I have. We pressed on to the FOB where the folks at the STP were waiting. All along the way I kept realizing
that this is what war is all about. There are scenes in my mind that for sure will not go away. Trying to keep a soldier alive while
bouncing around in a helicopter over some land in Asia is something a lot of folks do not get to see. It is however, exactly what I
came here to see.
We landed at the FOB and the medical folks all came out. It was
actually coordinated well, but it was very busy. Three injured
and lots of work to be done. The injured are received first
outside the entrance and quickly evaluated for the extent of
their injuries. Worst ones are taken first. Clothes are cut off as
scissors are snapping away cloth like a buzz saw. One patient is
taken in, then the other, then the other. All three are now in the
hospital. (Pic4) (Pic5)
Before they were taken in, I find myself taking photos of scenes
that are surreal. As I am clicking away, I flash back to El
Salvador, 1988. It is like I've been transported in a time warp,
yet fully aware of where I am. It is like yesterday but 25-years
ago. It is now today. And here I am in Afghanistan capturing
with a camera what I thought I would.
Never give up.
Now I'm inside the make shift hospital. Three patients are
tended to by dozens of folks all working promptly, but orderly.
Each bay is separate, but the whole team is in one accord. It is
actually remarkable to see this. In these kind of environments
the team concept is so real. It is another reason I come to these
places. My attention is focused on the first patient at the far end. He is the double amp. He is not looking good. CPR is started.
Blood is drawn. Blood is administered. CPR continues. The other two patients continue to be worked on. X-rays are taken.
More blood. Everyone is speaking at each bay in coordination with each team member. The first patient is not doing well. More
CPR. It continues for 6-minutes. I figure he will die. I leave the hospital to go photograph outside the scene where nobody is
now. I find the crew chief and later the medic. I take both their photos. It is not yet 7:00 AM. (Picture 6 Hands) (Picture 7 Feet)
(Picture 8 CPR)
I learn later that the double amputee actually survived. It is a miracle. It is explained to me that these medical folks here never
give up. This is good to know, especially if for some reason I become a "patient". Things happen. One never knows.
Later in the morning another call comes in. It is to pick up a
civilian contractor at one of the FOB's. He is not breathing well.
He may be in peril. We load up and go get him. He is brought
back to the FOB here and stabilized. Later he is transported to
the big facility by helicopter again.
Still the day was not done.
In the afternoon a call came about a Marine who had a gunshot
wound. We loaded up and headed out. We had to circle for a bit
and then were cleared to come in. The Marine looked well, but
was shot in the upper arm. He would be fine but needed to be
treated. We got him in, closed the doors and headed back to the
FOB. I snapped a lot of photos of him and even had him smile at
one point for the camera. I thought that was cool. Later I spoke
to him at the hospital and told him to email me and I would send
him the photo of him smiling and being treated at the same time.
Marines are tough. (Picture 9, Shot in the Arm)
It is now
after 5:00 PM in the evening and there is still plenty of daylight left. There
could be more missions. It is definitely nicer weather now and it appears,
at least according to today's events, that things are picking up a bit,
medevac wise.
I started this day without any coffee. I've had some since. I just finished
eating dinner. There were a couple of birds that came in to distribute
supplies and the like. I had a chance to interview a few more New Mexico
guys that I had not met. Many have heard now about me and are eager to
speak with me. Everyone knows the historical context of things.
It is difficult to decide which photos to include. There are too many. Some
are good. Some are even better. I still fight the low light situations from
time to time. It is becoming routine now for me to sprint to the aircraft
and be buckled in before some of the others now. I'm never first, but I'm
not last, usually anymore. It is fun to try and keep up. This is a good place
to be for what I am doing. There are times I feel inadequate in trying to
convey the scenes. A lot happens in one day sometimes.
It's just a busy today.
***This is an addition to what was written. After finishing this
writing, we got another medevac call. Two Marines in an MRAP
hit an IED. We went to get them. They could walk on. The one
Marine with a few days growth on his beard appeared to me to
have a possible concussion. He was in some serious pain in his
head. He seemed ok, but he was in pain. The other Marine was
a tall, young man who was dazed a bit. He was not speaking.
He was just quiet. But his left leg kept shaking the entire time
we were enroute to the larger medical facility. It was obvious to
me that he had just been through something that for sure shook
him up. He was so young looking and so quiet. He was
concerned deeply for what had just happened to him and his
fellow Marine. They will both be fine, but, I am thinking the
young Marine will need a few days to get over what he just went
through.
After we dropped the two Marines off and were heading back
now in the dark, we got a follow on mission, which means we
headed to another LZ. It is dark now. Word came there would
be two injured and one escort. Turns out, all three were
injured. These ones were from the place we went to at the crack
of dawn earlier this morning. What I saw next before my eyes
moved me. Caution Graphic Picture (Pic 10 Double Amp Soldier)
(Picture 11 Bad Shape)
An Afghan soldier, who was among those from earlier today,
was brought into the helicopter. It was dark, but these green
lights are on. I can see, but cannot take a good photo without
much light. He had two legs missing and part of one hand
missing. His other hand was intact but mangled pretty bad.
The rest of his body was ok. He looked at me strongly and
deeply. I just looked back. Then he would try to get up and
look at his legs that were not there. He would reel in pain and
then lay back down and look at me again. We just kept looking
at each other in the eyes. I tried to take some photos holding
the camera as still as I could and not using any flash. The
green lights help a little and the medic and nurse had small
head lamps that lit the area up just a little. I tried hard to take
some photos but I always came back to having eye contact with
this soldier. I truly felt his pain. That has never happened to
me before. There was nothing I could do but just look in his
eyes and pray inwardly that his pain would ease.
We brought the three back to the FOB where I entered the
medical facility and stayed for about 30-minutes witnessing
what real good medical folks do here to help really badly
injured people. It was all very serious, yet flowed smoothly.
There is no time for anything else in such situations other than
doing one's job to their finest.
It is 11:00 PM and I still hear helicopters shuttling patients from
here to the other facility a ways away. It has been a very long
day and night. It is expected to continue. I am tired now. I
took a lot of photographs today and saw a lot of things.
This is FOB Edinburgh, Afghanistan.
Jim Spiri
jimspiri@yahoo.com
Ten Years Later
#15 "Busy"
Photo #16...Working on the ANA soldier.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 13, 2012
Wounded ANA soldier that lost both legs is prepared
outside the STP at FOB Edinburgh
Sgt. Felicia Espinosa at the end of the first mission where
there was a double amputee, and two other ANA soldiers
that had gunshot wound.
Sgt Zach Menzie, seen here walking back from the medical
facility where all the injured are treated.
Photo by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 13, 2012
This photo shows the severity of the ANA soldiers injuries.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
On the return from the previous misison, we got a call to pick up three more
ANA soldiers that were severely wounded. The one in this night photo lost
both legs and will probably lose his left hand
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Hands of ANA soldier and medical person
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
The feet of the injured and the feet of the care giver.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Medical personnel work CPR on injured ANA soldier that lost both legs.
They revived him.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Shot in the arm.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Sgt Espinosa and Sgt Menzie both working rapidly on three patients. The
third patient is faced the other direction.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
The soldier here was riddled with shrapnel in his face and mouth. They
worked on him for a long time.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Sgt Espinosa and Sgt Menzie both working rapidly on three patients. The third
patient is faced the other direction.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Sgt Troy Hayes motions for scissors to be able to cut clothes of of injured ANA soldier.
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012
Injured ANA soldier awaiting to be brought into STP at FOB Edinburgh
Photos by Jim Spiri, SPIRI FREELANCE, March 14, 2012