Pinay Army PA Featured in Latest Article

I've been given another 15 minutes of fame when a Mobile Public Affairs team came to our location and interviewed me on my experience a couple of weeks ago. Here's the article in it's entirety with a few modifications for anonimity of the writer and mine. There was also a picture that came with it but my name on my uniform was showing. I hope this gives you a little taste of what I'm doing here.

Pinay Army PA goes down range
By Army 1st Sgt. David FXXXXX

XXXth Mobile Public Affairs Detachment


Middle, No Where -- On a small base in the Middle of Nowhere, physician assistant Army Capt. Pinay Army PA provides care for the soldiers here engaged in fighting extremists.

Just a few weeks ago, Pinay Army PA was providing care for service members at Camp XXX in . Now, she is treating soldiers wounded in battle at Forward Operating Base in the Middle of No Where.

Taking care of soldiers engaged in the fight is exactly what Pinay Army PA said she wanted when she requested to go down range. She treated 11 casualities after a fire-fight not long after she arrived.

"Everybody needs a taste of FOB XXXX,” she said. “The things you see here you will not see anywhere else."

But life on a forward operating base is not the same as in Kabul. The facilities on a FOB are primitive. There are some conveniences such as a gym and basketball court. However, the soldiers here don’t have many of the luxuries of other bases.

"What is here is what you get,” said Pinay Army PA. “If you don't like the chow you can't go to a different chow hall.”

Although working at Combined Forces Command - XXXX in XXXX was rewarding, getting to see first-hand what it is like on the front lines is something Pinay Army PA wanted to experience.

"You would not see this type of trauma anywhere else," she said.

The experience Pinay Army PA has gained at FOB XXXX has been rewarding, but something far more important has been established. A bond between warriors has been forged with the soldiers fighting here. Pinay Army PA has a deep respect for her fellow soldiers.

"This is the heart of the military -- the infantry guys here," she said.

Volunteering for assignment to a FOB has fulfilled a desire to make a difference for Pinay Army PA. That is the reason she entered the medical profession. And the reason she became a soldier.

"I am proud to be in the Army and I am proud to be here," she said.

Answers to www.blogthings.com

I found this website on a friend's site and decided to try it out myself. There is a list of different "Cool Things to Put In Your Blog" but these were the ones I want to post for fun.


I knew I had a Type-A personality but the questions on this website that determined your personality was still quite revealing. Are you a Type-A personality? Click on the link and find out.

Pinay Army PA Has A Type A Personality

You are hyper, energetic, and always on the mood You tend to succeed at everything you attempt And if you don't succeed at first, you quickly climb your way to the top! You could be called a workaholic, but you also make time for fun As long as it's high energy and competitive, you're interested You have the perfect personality for business and athletic success

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

I was surprised at the accuracy of this assessment from a website about what my birthday means. There are a lot of people who read their horoscope or astrological information on a daily basis and I'm not one of them but there are times, such as this time, that I have to wonder...hmmm... What about you: What does your birthday mean? Make a comment on my blog with your answer.

Pinay Army PA's Birthdate: January 19

You are resilient, and no doubt your resilience has already been tested. You've had some difficult experiences in your life, but you are wise from them. Having had to grow up quickly, you tend to discount the advice of others. You tend to be a loner, having learned that the only person you can depend on is yourself. Your strength: Well developed stability and confidence Your weakness: Suspicion of others Your power color: Eggplant Your power symbol: Spade Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I'm a poet
And I didn't even know it
Well, actually, I did.

Pinay Army PA Should Be A Poet

You craft words well, in creative and unexpected ways. And you have a great talent for evoking beautiful imagery... Or describing the most intense heartbreak ever. You're already naturally a poet, even if you've never written a poem.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

I'm a future millionaire!!!

Pinay Army PA's Chances of Being a Multimillionaire: 88%

It's almost certain you'll be a multimillionaire. Just keep doing what you're doing. You are good with money, a creative thinker, and an ethical person. You might be the next Donald Trump!

Will You Be a Multimillionaire?

Pinay Army PA is Likely A Forth Born

At your darkest moments, you feel angry. At work and school, you do best when you're analyzing. When you love someone, you tend to be very giving. In friendship, you don't take the initiative in reaching out. Your ideal jobs are: factory jobs, comedy, and dentistry. You will leave your mark on the world with your own personal philosophy.

The Birth Order Predictor

Now, this personality quiz, sometimes the choices I picked could change but this is my result for today.

Pinay Army PA Is An ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done. You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings. Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you. Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy. You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.

What's Your Personality Type?

OK, I'm all blogged out for tonight (or this morning depending on what time zone you're at). This was fun, which is away from my usual serious blogs. I hope you enjoyed reading it and let me know how you did on your answers to the same or other "blogthings."

A Beautiful Day in XXXX

I just noticed what a beautiful day it is here in FOB XXXX. The sun is shining and although I've been trying for a week to get out of here to start on my R&R leave, I just had to make note that this place is kind of growing on me. Of course, this FOB (Forward Operating Base) is not as well-developed since it does not have the luxuries like the other FOBs (ie. Post Exchange, Coffee Bean, AAFES contracted stores, Afghan bazaars, post office, etc) since it's so small and close to the XXXX border where it's a prime target for all the bad guys. This location and the aesthetics of what's here is far from perfect or pleasing to the eye. I have to maneuver through a rocky terrain to get around and the edifices are the color of concrete.

What makes this place great are the people in it. This place does not have the same political aura as the other places I've been at so far. Of course, they still have to conform to the same regulations as the other places, but it's more laid back. The guys here are the ones who are out there in the front lines, getting shot at when they go out on missions, so when they come "home" to this FOB, they come to unwind and relax away from their missions. There is a small MWR room where some congregate to keep in touch with their loved ones by phone or internet. A majority stay in their rooms "to chill out", there are a few who are in the make shift gym and mess hall.

It's a quiet day today. No mortars firing, no casualties to mend, no specific mission to attend to. So, with all of the previous bad weather we've had, and the frustration of trying to leave here, I wanted to take the time to notice that even with all the circumstances that we're up against here, it's still a beautiful day.

POEM: "AGUA"

I wrote this poem after I heard Sofia on the phone saying "Agua"


"Agua", she said
I could hear her say
"Agua, Agua, Agua"
Water
Flowing
on my body

As I fight to stop the tears
From flowing
Shimmering
Ascending
To and Fro
Back and Forth

"Agua, Agua, Agua"
Water
Keeping me cool
In a hot
Afghan night

Caressing my waist
Touching my skin
It's all I have
Right now
To comfort me...
"Agua"

Poem for Sofia

You will have the best, my baby
Don't have to struggle the way we did, my little lady
Don't have to grow up meeting your daddy
Don't have to wonder who is your mommy

When you wake up the sun will shine brightly
You will arise with you beside me
I'll promise to hold you everyday tightly
You will have at all times what's called a family

And when you're in trouble you don't have to wonder
Who will be there for you, we'll be there together
As you grow up, getting bigger and bigger
You will have the love to make you tougher

When the time comes that you find a lover
The way you were reared, you will remember
The money nor fame will not matter
What's in your heart will be your power.

02 MAY 06 Salerno, Afghanistan
edited 15 JUL 06 Bermel, Afghanistan

POEM: Make Me Whole Again

Make Me Whole Again

Bits and pieces scattered in the wind
Every time I leave, I leave one in the end
Puzzles scrambled with a missing piece
I hold it in my heart on nights like these

I cherish it on moments when I think of you
Wishing you have one to remember me, too
Will you hold it close to remember me by
Hold it in your heart, try not to cry

When I return, we'll put them together
Hope not to be gone again, be whole forever
But for now I hold that piece in my heart
And look forward to a future when we no longer part.

POEM: Prisoner in My Mind

PRISONER IN MY MIND

One year is not supposed to be that long

Or is it?

Is this what it's like to be in prison

Or am I?

I did not commit a crime

Nor a single felony

But it feels just the same

I cannot escape this cage I am in

I cannot fly away even if I had wings

I see my daughter growing up in pictures

I can hear my husband's pain from a distance

I am not supposed to complain

Because this is what it takes

To be a soldier

But it hurts just the same.

21 APRIL Salerno, Afghanistan

Today's Not Just Any Other Day...

July 7: For some, this is just another day. For me, however, this is my BASD (Basic Active Service Date). This basically marks the day I left for Basic Training way back in 1992 when I was only 17 years old. I've been in 14 years in the Army and I still can't believe how fast time has flown by. I've done so much since I've been in and I'm very fortunate for the accomplishments I've achieved during my service in the military. The first 10 years were a breeze, the years thereafter have been difficult especially with the OPTEMPO of deployments. I don't really want to write much right now since it's late here but I just wanted to mark this day, because... TODAY'S NOT JUST ANY OTHER DAY.

Footnote: It's 08 JULY in Afghanistan, but I wrote this at 07 JULY 2300Z

Another 4th of July Spent Deployed

It's yet another 4th of July, Independence Day, that I'm spending while in another country. I've spent the same holiday three years ago in Baghdad, Iraq. What are my thoughts and feelings about this holiday that is usually celebrated by many Americans with a 4-day weekend, barbeque and fireworks? Well, where I am at, it's just like any other day. I'm the only female "imbedded" with a company of infantry soldiers as their current medical provider. For them, it's mission as usual. No fireworks will be heard unless you count controlled detonations and mortars firing overhead. (If you count those, then everyday is Independence Day). In fact, this holiday is one of the most dangerous for them because the enemy knows our holidays and they specifically attack during American holidays. It's a quiet atmosphere in the aid station where I am at right now but when we do get casualties, they're pretty serious so I just hope that today will not be one of those days.

During this Independence Day, I want to take the time to recognize the sacrifice these outstanding young men are doing, who go out there to "greet" the enemy day in and day out, and on this celebrated day are not in their backyards listening to music, eating a hotdog, sipping on a cold soda while they play with their children. They are out here forging a war on terrorism unbeknownst to those who are celebrating this day with their family and friends.

On a less serious note, we had two soldiers who went to Bagram to get their citizenships. Every year on this day, there is a mass participation of "alien" soldiers who finally become citizens of a country of which they are sacrificing their lives for. It's a proud day for them because they can now say that they are Americans. I, too, earned my citizenship during my military service. I can remember it very well. It was actually in Puerto Rico, at my first duty station. There was a lot of paperwork and criterias that had to be met. I also had to study for a test then show up while somebody asked me questions (When I asked my "American" friends, most of them didn't even know the answers). So, I can just imagine what these soldiers must be feeling now as they achieve this important milestone.

It's a proud day for me to be wearing my uniform. People may agree or disagree about us being here, but we are here and many of us are your brothers, sisters, cousins, mothers, fathers, etc., and we thank you for your support.

Happy Independence Day!

Pinay Army PA
FOB in the Middle of Nowhere, Afghanistan
July 4, 2006