Leslie Sabbagh served as an embedded correspondent with the U.S. military at TQ Surgical, a facility which cares for combat casualties–Marines, soldiers and Iraqis civilians–who suffer the devastating wounds of war. Her piece delves into the work of combat physicians, nurses, techs, corpsmen and their patients, and how the interaction between the staff themselves and their patients affects their lives.
Located at Al Taqaddum Air Base between Fallujah and Ramadi, some 150 miles west of Baghdad in Iraq’s restive Al Anbar province, the facility is instrumental in saving lives and preserving good physical function for hundreds of casualties. The staff has truly undergone a baptism by fire and at their busiest treated dozens of wounded and dying casualties weekly. Their courage, dedication and commitment to their patients is a truly inspiring and was the impetus for the article.
Sabbagh was granted unprecedented, round-the-clock access to the facility and its staff. As an embedded journalist in the midst of a war zone, Sabbagh quickly developed a unique rapport with the staff and the wounded. The article focuses on the skill and compassion of those who care for the wounded, and the bravery and resolve of their patients. She chronicles the often heroic efforts of the Navy medical staff and young corpsmen in their work to save the lives of wounded marines and soldiers. The piece also explores their sometimes heart-wrenching decisions and how those decision affect them.
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