Air Force medics treat patients at Abu Ghraib

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Eric Petosky
  • 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
ABU GHRAIB, Iraq (AFPN) --  It takes confidence to stare into the face of one’s enemy and offer him an aspirin, but that is what Air Force medics deployed to Abu Ghraib prison must do every day.

As a forward-deployed element of the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, the small team provides medical screening to detainees with poise. Abu Ghraib houses about 3,000 detainees.

The medical team is not part of the Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center, also at the prison. As an objective third party to the Army-run prison, they provide medical screening to all detainees before and after interrogations.

“The medical exams they perform safeguard detainees from possible abuse by members of the intelligence community, and in turn protect interrogators from false abuse claims by detainees,” said Army Col. Carol Rogers, JIDC commander. “It’s an important and necessary safeguard here, and the Air Force team does an excellent job. They keep us all straight.”

In light of the previous abuse scandal, Colonel Rogers said having a separate medical staff performing the exams also eliminates a perceived conflict of interest that might stem from Army doctors performing the same exams.

The Air Force team comprises people: one doctor, one physician’s assistant, one nurse practitioner, two medics and an independent duty medical technician. Before an interrogation, a detainee is thoroughly examined to identify any pre-existing health conditions such as tuberculosis, high blood pressure and diabetes, said Capt. Stephen Long, physician’s assistant. Any findings are well-documented and treated.

After an interrogation, another exam is performed to make sure any pre-existing conditions have not been aggravated and no new health concerns appear. Again, the team documents its findings.

“It can be difficult to assess the detainees,” said Capt. (Dr.) Karyn Ayers, lead physician. “You have to learn all the different cultures, diets and health habits of a variety of people. As a clinician, it’s very rewarding though. I get to hone my skills without the array of equipment available stateside.”

The team’s skills were tested during a massive insurgent attack on Abu Ghraib in April, this time with wounded U.S. servicemembers defending the prison. The attack began in the evening and hit a crescendo quickly.

Rockets and mortars pummeled the base. Suicide bombers and vehicle-borne explosives lit up the night and rocked the perimeter, and the sky was thick with wisps of tracer fire, she said. The captain was finishing a six-mile jog when the attack began and was knocked to the ground by a mortar that hit 20 yards away. She recovered and reported to the field hospital to help treat the wounded. The rest of her team was close behind.

“(Gen. George) Patton said, ‘There are few experiences in life that compare to being in combat,’” Capt. Ayers said. “He was right. Holy Moses, before I came here, I was writing prescriptions for dependents, and all of a sudden I was pulling shrapnel out of Marines. Everyone was calm and collected through the whole thing. ‘Focus’ was our watchword, and the medics just seemed to click.”

Col. Del Lewis, 447th Air Expeditionary Group commander, had nothing but praise for the medical team and their successes in such a hostile environment.

“Dr. Ayers and her team have one of the most unique jobs in the Air Force in one of the most unique places in Iraq,” he said. “Whether it is ensuring proper treatment of detainees bent on taking life, or caring for U.S. troops determined to protect it, they epitomize the core values of the Air Force with honor and poise.”