Interesting bit

Hey, we got some info....it actually came from someone else, and it involves the USNS Mercy...but runs along the lines of what she has heard... http://www.news.navy.mil/search/disp...tory_id=23226. .....Except the part about FIVE months..

Sally, we have told the boys. Drew was quick to figure out why she had to go, 'Because Mom is a good Dr' and Colton is ready to get on a boat too. We were not going to tell them until she knew for sure when she was leaving, but Drew got it figured out from just listening to our conversations from the other rooms. Who says that they don't listen when the TV is on AND they are playing the GameBoy?!?!? (what great parents we are! ).
Anyway, she told them that she was going to help sick kids because they needed extra doctors to do that and she will be gone for a while. It will be interesting to see what happens when we find out more.

any updates Matt? are they still expecting Gretchen on the 13th?

No one seems to know anything.

She was also told that she needed to be in San Diego by the 22nd. But again was told that she needs to be in the Philipines by the 13th.

We don't know anything new. She could be gone by the end of the week...or not.

[mommax3]

Please keep us posted, Matt. I am thinking of you all.

Sally

[Flynn]

I am so late here!!!

Matt -- this sux on so many levels. Your boys are very lucky to have a dad like you who can sacrifice so much...I am in awe.

Ughhh. That would just drive me batty to not know. I'm sorry she has to leave and that there is so much uncertainty around it.

We're thinking about you, and her, and the kids. Keep us posted.

Our neighbor just left today for his third tour in Iraq. He is doing a joint mission with the Army...on the convoy supply lines.
He didn't have his "orders" either until about an hour before he left.

This is going to be a long summer.

Matt -- will her return date be as up in the air? Or will you know that it will be x days from being deployed?

[BonBon]

Oh, Matt

How much time does she owe? I am so sorry that it has to be like that...it doesn't help matters.

Thinking of you and your family...

How much time does she owe?

28 months, 28 days....but I am not counting....


Turns out they tell everyone(entering the way that DW did) that if you aren't "fully satisfied" with the military that you can get out in two years and then double the reserve time committment. They don't add that it will take the earth reversing its spin to get that done.

will her return date be as up in the air?

At this point, we just assume that everything that they tell us is going to have a problem. So, in a short answer, yes. They have told her that it will be 90 days....then she gets paperwork that says five months. I fully expect her before Thanksgiving.....I think.


http://www.pacom.mil/special/mercy06/index.shtml

Here is a link about the ship....I think that when it is all done, she will have had an amazing experience, but the path is proving to be no fun at all...

[Vanquisher]

Any news?

I hope you are doing okay, Matt!

I have been offline for sometime. School, MIL and boys and baseball... it seems to never end. Here is an email that Gretchen sent me awhile last week when she was off the ship working in a "clinic".


Yesterday was my first trip ashore. Here is a summary of my day…

What a day! We had to muster at 0430 in the fish bowl (MMOC). The first group was going to leave by helo at 0600. We had to get our PPE - vest and combat helmet. We were supposed to get a MRE for lunch as well, but were told that they were at the site...which wasn't the case. The first group left late due to the pouring rain. We were called up to the holding area for the helo pad. We got our safety briefing and donned our life jackets - or whatever the pilots called them. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Then we were told that there was a problem and the helo was down. We waited some more and the first helo returned, but needed to be refilled. But it was lightening outside and they can't be refilled within 5 miles of lightening. So we needed to wait some more. After approx an hour of waiting in the non-air conditioned space, I requested they call the fish bowl to see if we could wait down in CASREC (casuality reception area) which is air conditioned. No one else would take the initiative...never a problem here! That was okayed. After we got to CASREC, I then requested that we be released to go eat breakfast as it was now 0715. This was also okayed.

We returned when we were supposed to and continued to wait some more while command decided if we were going to continue with the mission. We were, but it would be with abbreviated personnel. There were supposed to be 4 "clicks" (groups in AF terms) taken, approx 42 people plus supplies, drugs, and gear. The first helo had 9 or 10 people on it. The second helo would only have 8 on it. I was picked to go out of the 2 pediatricians slated. We were again called to the waiting area for the helo pad and then it was shut down. It was now down as well. Another Navy ship in the area (Monson?) had a helo that was going to pick us up. They could only take 6 people. We sent 1 dentist, 1 dental tech, 1 optometrist, 1 optometry tech and all of their gear on the first trip. Still thinking I might not have to go, I stayed behind. They came back to pick us up and the FP and I left with all of the drugs and other supplies. We landed on a grass pad where the Filipino Army had a camp. We were taken to the "bus" transportation and I use that term loosly. My idea of a bus is very different from what I rode in...it was like a stock truck without a roof on it. It had wooden bench seats along the side. We were escorted by a tank, an undercover Filipino in street clothes on a dirt bike (whose job it was to do circles around the convoy to assess for ambush threats), and at least 2 men from the Filipino Army armed with M-16. We had one Navy Seal and one Army Special Forces also riding with us...both with concealed 9mm. Everyone was wearing their PPE. It worried me some when I realized that the Navy Seal sitting next to me never took his right hand out of his blouse. The Special Forces guy took his 9mm out, cocked it, and placed it under his leg. We were driven the long way to the school as we were being shown off to the town. Lots of waving going on! There was plenty of military forces along the way to the school all of which were armed with at least 1 M-16.

We got to the school approx 30 minutes later (it is now 1115). There was already a long line in to see us when we arrived. We quickly set up and began to see patients. The AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) were supposed to also send docs, but their helo was grounded due to the weather. Only 2 physicians were sent from the Mercy. Thank goodness there was another Pediatrician there - her husband was part of our security patrol - and another local provider. The Special Forces guy was also a PA. He was supposed to be part of our security, but due to few providers he also saw patients. I saw mostly adults as it was easier to move patients through the line. We saw patients for approx 3-3.5 hours - I finally got some water after about 2 hours after I found the OIC. She had promised to bring some to us after we arrived, but forgot. I knew that there was going to be undercover security there as well and we would be able to tell who they were by the green tape on their shoulder.

I was seeing a gentleman for a cough. I wanted to listen to his lungs so the interpreter pulled his shirt up in back so I could listen. There tucked in his jeans was a concealed 9mm. I frantically searched his shoulders for a green piece of tape...thank goodness it was there. Approx 1 hour later, another man had the complaint of a cough. He took off his leather jacket and the interpreter once again pulled up his shirt. He was packing as well. I never did see a green piece of tape on him, but the man in the Filipino Army standing behind him with his M-16 was watching and didn't seem too concerned. There was no lunch as we hadn't been given the MREs, but in that heat and humidity I don't know how anyone gets hungry.

We left at 1450 for the convoy back to the helos. One of the Mercy helos was up and I was back to the ship by 1600. Due to the rain, our boots were caked in mud. It was a very bad hairday after wearing the skullcap and headphones required for the helos and then smashing it further with the combat helmet. My pictures might be pretty scary!! There are tons of photographers everywhere you turn trying to capture the moments.

I've never been so glad to see a shower in my life - even a really small one was okay! I slept like a rock last night and didn't get up at 0500 with my alarm. I jumped out of bed at 0545...rounds were at 0600 so I was a little late. We had been up until 2230 the night before our trip due to a mission briefing and I got up at 0345 the next AM...to shower of all things. I don't know what I was thinking?? Next time I will just put on my uniform and arrive to muster.

It was a neat experience. I sweated I think more than I do in Florida!

That last email, they saw about 1400 patients in that amount of time. The day before there had been 8 providers and they saw about 1800 in a "full" days worth of work.


She has been selected to be the Head of the Pediatric Division, the Lt.Cmdr was pulled off the ship to help with the earthquake relief in Indonesia. That is a pretty big deal.

They are headed here...she is a little scared, I can't find much more info about it except bad stuff... here is the latest. Sounds like this island is the most heavily concentrated with Al-Qaeda type folks.

http://www.almanar.com.lb/story.aspx?La ... SNO=647106

Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts while she is gone...I have needed them all.


Especially, since my MIL is here until August 11!!!!!!!