Proper documentation of injuries in combat.

[themanpete]

Very interesting issue came up today from the Wounded Warrior Regiment.

 

I have been retired for 3 months and I get a email from a friend of mine who is still in and says hey the WWR is trying to get a hold of you and its a big deal.

 

I call them this morning, they are inquiring about a Marines injuries from 2006. Well my tours were not typical full Battalion tours, I did 3 MTT teams (advisors to Iraqi Army) train them and fight with them if needed. ETT's are (advisors to Afghanistan Army) did one of these.

I had one team in 2006 that 40% were KIA and the other 60% were wounded in the year long tour.

 

One of the Marines suffered a 25% BSA burns, and 60% face and neck burns except where his goggles covered. Amputated R leg UTK.

 

So I kept a passworded excel spreadsheet with all the documentation on all the injuries, treatments, awards presented, medevac times, where they were sent the whole 9 yards. Greatly detailed and precise. I had a surgeon sign all my notes when I could find one nearby or actually had to go to a shock trauma units. And I scanned them and encrypted them all in case something like this ever came up.

 

These notes actually came in handy twice since this tour, but today they actually helped the Marine described above get his full severance that he has been trying to get for 4 years now. They called me told me what the situation was, I sent the documentation to them in 15 minutes and sent a statement on his situation that day. He will be awarded $100,000 dollars for his injuries. Felt real good that my little spreadsheet payed off.

[rcdavis]

Effin a!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

S-t-r-o-n-g work!

[marilynpac]

I have never served but I do have a family member that is retired AF. Thank you for serving. What you did for that fellow serviceman was wonderful.

[AlteredBeast]

That's impressive to say the least. What's this, "I had one team in 2006 that 40% were KIA and the other 60% were wounded in the year long tour." I've never been in the military so excuse me If this is completely wrong, but does that mean a 100% casualty count? Or is KIA only considered casualty. That's crazy either way.

[themanpete]

That's impressive to say the least. What's this, "I had one team in 2006 that 40% were KIA and the other 60% were wounded in the year long tour." I've never been in the military so excuse me If this is completely wrong, but does that mean a 100% casualty count? Or is KIA only considered casualty. That's crazy either way.

 

Yes this team had 100% casualty count for the original 11 guys. 10 Marines and 1 Corpsman. We got augmented with Army Soldiers half way through due to the KIA and WIA, we had three of the five combat reliefs wounded as well. We still hold the record not that we are at all happy about it. Lots of bad memories from that place. Ramadi, Iraq is where we were. The embedded reporter we had with us told us one day that he called the AO we had "Satan's spawning ground".

[Guest Hdjdjbxj]

The thing about the military is if it's not documented it NEVER happened. Bravo Zulu!

 

BTW - what part of the theater were you in that you sustained such high casualty rates? I was with 2/5 in Ramadi during '04-'05 and things got pretty bad there, but not 40%.

 

Edit- ah, just saw your last post. We must have been writing at the same time. What base/OP were you at?

[themanpete]

Devil, I spent most of my time at OP 293 and ECP 3 in west tameem. We got hit usually every other day after they would hit the government center they would come after us (easy targets being two americans in a outpost with 40-45 Iraqis. The main reason we got so jacked up was every time we got into it, most of the Iraqi's would beat feet. 3/8 was there the same time I was the had over 450 wounded and I believe 20 or so KIA.