By Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Kirkuk, Iraq – While most 13-year old boys in the U.S. may be joining a school-yard pickup game at lunch, an Iraqi child fell victim to a roadside Improvised Explosive Device, March 27, on his way home after spending the morning working his family's fields. Through quick action by Army and Air Force personnel in Kirkuk the boy's life was saved.
"I heard and saw the explosion from my window," Arif Muter Jarew, the boy's father said. Rahmey, his son stumbled in soon after with what would later be identified as shrapnel wounds to his knee, leg, and chest. "I was panicked, there was blood coming from his mouth," Jarew said.
The father's first concern was how to transport his son to a hospital that was miles away as his vehicle was in poor condition, so he obtained assistance from unknown motorists. "We then saw a convoy of American Soldiers," he said.
The farmer was initially reluctant about requesting coalition assistance, but fearing his son was near death, he had no choice. "My son was dying. He had blood everywhere," he said.
The boy's father flagged down a patrol of Soldiers from 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. "We saw some Iraqis waving us to stop and one was cradling a kid, so we knew something was up," Pfc. Jeffrey Parson said.
Parson and the patrol's medic, Pvt. 2 Justin Avila, rendered initial medical aid at what they originally thought were gunshot wounds. "There was blood coming from the kid's mouth and wounds, so we treated the bleeding first," Parson said.
The patrol radioed Forward Operating Base McHenry in the Hawijah district of the Kirkuk Province.
They transported the teenager and his father to the FOB where the medical staff there stabilized the patient for transport to FOB Warrior in Kirkuk.
Ramey was treated by both Army and Air Force medical personnel at Warrior's Freedom Hospital for shrapnel wounds.
"He's a very lucky boy," said Air Force Capt. Gabriel Rulewicz, a Freedom Hospital surgeon. "He'll need some surgery to remove the shrapnel, but we've stabilized him for transport to a hospital in Kirkuk." The surgeon credits the quick reaction by all involved as, "a perfect ending to what could have quickly resulted in the opposite."
"I did not know how caring U.S. Soldiers are. I could not believe how well they treated my son and me. I am so thankful to everyone who saved my son's life," Jarew said.
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