Baghdad ER

Baghdad ER: Fifteen Minutes chronicles my journey to war as an Emergency Physician serving with the US Army. Beginning as I am preparing to leave my wife and infant daughter behind, the saga covers each of the major events, emotions, and characters I encountered while caring for America's finest warriors. The physical, spiritual, and emotional tolls the daily rigor of serving America's and Iraq's wounded are documented, as well as humorous stories and events we shared. The emergency department, or EMT, of the 86th Combat Support Hospital became a family during this endeavor. Our goal was to save every American soldier, sailor, airman, or marine carried through our door regardless of the horrific injuries they had endured, and we eventually left with a 96% survival rate. We were their safety net; their shelter when things went wrong. Our team of thirty or so members cared for thousands of American soldiers, state department personnel, contractors, and Iraqi's alike. We were the first American military hospital to be directly targeted by the enemy since the Vietnam War, and we endured more direct hits by enemy rockets and mortars than any Army hospital since that time as well.