Photo By Sgt. Breanne Pye | Spc. Samantha Romero, combat medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company,...... read more read more
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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – The world, as it appears through the eyes of a soldier, is often black and white; a routine that must be followed, a battle that must be won, a task that must be completed which only a soldier is equipped to handle.
Any soldier will tell you that in the thick of a deployment, there’s always one soldier who brings everyone together, who is larger than life and whom possesses the quiet charisma and confidence required to become the heart and soul of the team.
Spc. Samantha Romero, combat medic assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, ‘Raider’ Brigade, came to Afghanistan equipped with fierce determination and all the color and compassion needed to brighten the canvas of one of the most volatile and unforgiving provinces in Afghanistan.
The 24-year-old mother of two from Madison, Wis. nearly missed her opportunity to deploy with the ‘Raider’ brigade. Romero said she was undergoing a postpartum appointment several months after the birth of her first son, when a doctor discovered multiple lumps in both of her breasts.
“I was already pregnant with my second son when the lumps were discovered,” said Romero. “They were not deemed cancerous at that time, so I decided to wait to have them removed until after my second son was born.”
Several months before the ‘Raiders’ deployed, Romero delivered her second son. Shortly after his birth, she underwent a double mastectomy.
No doubt, many people think having a child is difficult enough. But undergoing a double mastectomy shortly after giving birth would put just about anyone ‘out of commission’ for a significant period of physical recovery time, not to mention the emotional recovery time.
Not Samantha Romero. She opted to waive her reconstructive surgery as well as her postpartum recovery time in order to deploy with her brigade to Kandahar, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“I have always been interested in medicine and healing people,” said Romero. “There is nothing more satisfying than providing care to people who are sick or hurt and might not get care otherwise.”
Care and compassion is exactly what Romero has brought to the people of Kandahar province, as well as the soldiers of ‘Raider’ Brigade, said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Giardine, medical noncommissioned officer in charge and battle captain assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st STB, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
“Romero’s dedication to her team and her country is a motivation to us all,” said Giardine. “She is a shining example of overcoming adversity, displaying personal courage, and demonstrating the Army values of loyalty and honor.”
Romero doesn’t feel what she has done is special. She said she felt it was her duty to deploy and didn’t want to end her service in the Army without getting the experience gained from a combat deployment.
“Every non-commissioned officer hopes to have a soldier on their team who is a hard worker and a team player,” said Giardine. “Romero is that soldier and more, not only overseeing her own responsibilities, but often asking for more.”
Giardine’s sentiments were echoed by nearly every soldier and non-commissioned officer on Romero’s medical team.
“Romero overcame extremely adverse and unfortunate circumstances in order to deploy with our team,” said Sgt. April Luikart, medical platoon sergeant assigned to HHC, 1st STB, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div. “In her capacity as a medic, Romero has not only served, but excelled at her job here.”
Though Romero has said the hardest part of her decision to deploy was knowing she had to leave her children behind, her young sons have a lot to be proud of when they look back on their mother’s time in Afghanistan, said Luikart.
Shortly after she arrived in Afghanistan, Romero was working night shift at the Camp Nathan Smith Medical Clinic when a local family came into the clinic seeking care for their young son, Rafi, who was suffering from a rare congenital heart condition called transposition of the great arteries.
Transposition of the great arteries is a birth defect that occurs when the large vessels that take the blood away from the heart, to the lungs, or to the body, are improperly connected.
Romero said she was instantly drawn to Rafi, as he was the same age as her young son back home, but incredibly small and underdeveloped for his age.
“When Rafi came into the CNS aid station, you could immediately see Romero’s motherly instincts kick in,” said Giardine. “Rafi was having trouble breathing and Romero immediately placed an oxygen mask over his little face and held him in her arms until he was breathing correctly.”
Luikart said watching Romero treat Rafi was one of the most touching scenes she will remember from deployment.
“Romero was instrumental in nursing Rafi back to health,” said Luikart. “She spent most of her days and nights holding him and rocking him to sleep; she even helped a fellow medic build him a mobile from raw materials around the aid station.”
Rafi was the first of many Afghan patients that Romero would treat throughout the course of her deployment. Before it is all said and done, Romero will have participated in over 200 support missions, including mounted patrols and foot patrols, said Giardine.
“Though helping soldiers is my priority as a medic, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to focus a lot of energy toward treating the local population here in Kandahar,” said Romero. “A lot of residents I meet while on patrol or while working in the aid station have been severely hurt or injured by insurgent attacks.
“Providing those injured and sick residents care they would not otherwise have access to, has been my biggest reward during this deployment,” she said.
Throughout the course of this deployment, Romero has proven herself to be a leader amongst her peers, said Luikart. She is a hard worker who will accomplish any mission, regardless of how many obstacles she has to cross to get there.
As the end of the deployment approaches, Romero sums up her experience in completing her mission in Afghanistan and the lessons she will take away from her time as a combat medic.
“This entire experience has shown me the Afghan people are counting on our forces to provide care for them,” said Romero. “They are starting to trust us with their care and the care of their children, which really shows that we have a purpose here and our mission is important.”
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2011 07:25 |
| Story ID: | 69087 |
| Location: | KANDAHAR, AF |
| Web Views: | 396 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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