A Medical Brigade Soldier helps others feel at home

Photo By Sgt. Cassandra Groce | Maj. Colleen Shiraishi, the Officer in Charge of the Ambulatory Care Center, 47th Combat Support Hospital, checks the heart beat of Spc. Christy Dandy. Shiraishi has been in the military for over a decade and previously served in the U.S. Navy.  

TIKRIT, IRAQ

03.10.2006

Courtesy Story

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TIKRIT, Iraq (March 9, 2006) --The "Dura Mater", or tough mother, of medicine at the Ambulatory Care Center here is an integral part of the leadership operating at the 47th Combat Support Hospital, 30th Medical Brigade out of Ft. Lewis, Wash.

Maj. Colleen Shiraishi, the officer in charge of the ACC and a nurse practitioner, has served in the military for more than a decade. Being a mother of three with an experienced background in medicine has made her an invaluable asset to the CSH, as well as a beloved member.

"She's totally like my mom," said Sgt. Navarro, a member of the ACC team. "She makes you feel at home."

In addition to making a foreign country feel like home, she is also hoping her time in Iraq will be spent serving the civilians of the country.

"I would like to get involved in the MiTT (Military Transitional Training) team," said Shiraishi.

Shiraishi, a San Diego, Calif., native, might be getting her wish since the CSH members have just finished a series of cultural awareness training classes, including a tea service class. The training is because the MiTT team plans on utilizing some CSH Soldiers in evaluating Iraqi facilities in April.

"We're really excited about that," said Shiraishi. "I want to tell my kids I saw the culture, the people and made a difference. This is a difference I can make and go away happy about."

Shiraishi first became a member of the military services in 1991 when she joined the U.S. Navy as a nurse.

"It was destiny; I had the background for this job," said Shiraishi, who was a nurse's maid at the age of 14. She gained these skills from her mom who was a nurse as well.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Shiraishi switched to the Army.

"It was truly after 9-11," said Shiraishi. "The Army said they needed nurse practitioners, and that's what I wanted to do."

Switching from blue to green brought a slew of challenges for the officer who was unfamiliar with the Army service.

"At OBC (Officer's Basic Course) because I came in a major, the NCOIC gave me an M-16 rifle and said, "Here Ma"am, I bet you can show everyone here how to break this down," said Shiraishi, laughing. "I was like, all Marines would have to be dead before they gave a Navy nurse a rifle. I had only qualified on a 9-mm pistol."

The change in missions between the services was a new experience for Shiraishi.

"We (Navy nurses) had Marine escorts," said Shiraishi. "That's a difference in the services. Our (Army) medics become the security pullers and set-up perimeters. You are a Soldier first."

This Soldier-first mentality of the Army has not been the only change for the major. She also has seen a change in the role of women over the years in the military.

"The Army has been good at expanding the role of women because of need, but need is a great motivator," said Shiraishi. "I think women have gone from an ancillary role to where they are part of the power structure. Twenty years ago it was hard for women to get into a command position."

Shiraishi plans on staying in the military and finishing another full ten years on active duty.

• Date Taken: 03.10.2006
• Date Posted: 03.10.2006 11:15
• Story ID: 5659
• Location: TIKRIT, IQ