News from Afghanistan

We have shipped our packages to FOB Wilson in Afghanistan.  In doing so we had prayers from Michael Penn and Jerry Kinman from the First Baptist Church.  Today I am asking that you include your prayers also.  I just received this message from FOB Wilson.  Our men and women both in uniform and out of uniform, civilian personnel are in danger.  So with the packages I want each and everyone to include a prayer of safety.  Click to read the message.

LOGCAP IV team,

I wanted to get the word out about the attack on FOB Wilson.  We had three of our Team injured in a recent attack against FOB Wilson. On Thursday, 2 December at approximately 1630 local time, two  motor rounds from what we believe were fired from a recoilless rifle at the base.  One round hit without causing any damage but the second landed in the biometrics and badging tent that had eight of our DynCorp employees and two US Navy Seabees present.  Everyone reacted immediately with calm professionalism.

Our own Lauren Webster, a former Marine, immediately went into action putting on three tourniquets and applying life saving bandage compresses.  Though wounded himself, Sal Ibrahimi grabbed litters and started transporting the wounded to the shelters.  Sal had multiple shrapnel wounds in his leg, arm and back but was more concerned with his “Teammates” safety and well being than his own.  Sal remained at Wilson and is recovering from his wounds.

The Fire Department Medics (also DynCorp employees) along with US Army Special Forces medics responded within minutes and continued applying life saving first aid.  Two of our people, Timothy Carr and William Scott, were severely injured by the shrapnel and required a medical evacuation via helicopter to the hospital at Kandahar Air Field (KAF).  After further medical evaluation, the doctors at the KAF hospital determined that Timothy Carr needed immediate transportation to the hospital at Bagram.  The injuries to his lower legs are severe and sadly the doctors had no choice but to amputate his right leg just below the calf.    Tim is in great spirits and is recovering from his wounds but will require extended care and rehabilitation.   While undergoing treatment at Bagram Hospital,  Tim was met on Friday by President Obama and Gen Petraeus, Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), and receive a Commander-in-Chief coin from the President and a Commander’s coin from General Petraeus.

The other evacuee, Mr. William Scott, was stabilized at KAF and then transported to City Hospital in Dubai, UAE.  He suffered shrapnel wounds to his upper left thigh and has already undergone surgery to remove shrapnel and close the wound.  William will undergo physical therapy but the prognosis is he is expected to fully recover.  The Navy Seabee who was hit by shrapnel was treated and released.

Tim is currently scheduled to be medevaced by the US Air Force to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany on Monday, December 6, 2010.  He will be further transported to Andrews AFB, Maryland by the military, and then our Travel Guard service will make arrangements for transporting him by air ambulance from Andrews to a hospital in his hometown of Knoxville, TN.  William is schedule to be medevaced within the next 24 hours from the City Hospital, Dubai directly to a hospital in his hometown of Atlanta.

I travelled out to FOB Wilson on Friday, 3 December and met with those involved in the attack.  The Wilson team was in good spirits but understandably all were concerned for their fellow “Teammates” who had been evacuated.  This event while very tragic could have been a lot worse.  Everyone worked as a team and because of that a worse situation was avoided.

Our Prayers and best wishes go out to our two evacuees and their families as well as our other brave six.  I will continue to update you with our fellow employee’s status as it changes.