An apple a day keeps this doctor away

Photo By Chung Il Kim | Maj. Roger Williams, a flight surgeon from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, looks inside the ear of a patient to check the patient's condition June 11 at the TMC in Camp Humphreys, South Korea.  

PYEONGTAEK, 41, SOUTH KOREA

06.19.2015

Story by Chung Il Kim 

2nd Combat Aviation Brigade

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea - An apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, if the doctor is as entertaining and friendly as Maj. Roger Williams, a flight surgeon from the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, you might skip an apple or two.

Williams takes care of around 2,000 Soldiers and families here on Camp Humphreys.

“I evaluate acute illnesses and skeletal problems that involve the knee and shoulder, and I refer patients to another surgeon in the case of a serious injury,” said Williams. He treats all forms of illness and injuries ranging from viral illness among Soldiers to severe physical damage during a mission.

After being enlisted for eight years in the Army, he decided to go to college and majored in pre-med chemistry. Then, he went to a Georgia medical school for four years and worked at the Womack Hospital for residency training. He then came back into the Army and went to school to become a flight surgeon.

As a flight surgeon, Williams is responsible for monitoring a flight crew’s physical health. He performs first aid to injured Soldiers, evaluates if a pilot is fit to fly and reviews any medical care aviation personnel receive from other providers. It is the responsibility of the flight surgeon to monitor the flight crew’s mental and emotional health as well.

An Army surgeon’s job is not limited to treating Soldiers. They help civilians as well. During deployments to both Afghanistan and Korea, Williams said that the difficult parts were communication and having limited resources.

“When a patient cannot describe his symptoms, lots of trial and error and guessing are needed,” he said. Limited resources were another problem. He would welcome the patients wholeheartedly, but have to send them back once the treatment was done due to limited doctors, aid-kits and time.

Although helping patients who suffered from cuts, gunshot wounds, burns or asthma is rewarding, Williams said that the most rewarding experiences came from small things. “Giving out a toothbrush and tooth paste to Soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan was one of the most rewarding experiences,” he said. “The dissatisfaction of losing teeth is as strong as having a heart problem.”

Dolores Polaski, a registered nurse at the TMC who works with Williams said, “Last year, Doc. Williams helped the boy scouts in Korea with medical care on the weekend voluntarily.”

Polaski said he tries to be a genuinely good man who inspires, reaches out, and makes the people around him happy.

Ellen Krostag, another registered nurse who worked with Williams for the past 10 months at the TMC said, “Whenever a provider is unavailable at the TMC, Doc. Williams takes the job no matter what.”

Williams leaves the 2nd CAB and Camp Humphreys in August. After two and a half years here in Korea, he will go to the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Fort Riley, Kansas, where his family lives.

• Date Taken: 06.19.2015
• Date Posted: 06.19.2015 00:33
• Story ID: 167241
• Location: PYEONGTAEK, 41, KR