In Afghanistan, emergencies keep Campbell medic flying

Afghans have told the Campbell native they appreciate the U.S. presence.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CAMPBELL -- Army Staff Sgt. James Carwell Jr., a Blackhawk helicopter medic, carries small stuffed animals in his medical bag to give to wounded Afghan children when he treats them in the field.
"It helps calm them down and shows them I care," said Carwell, stationed in Afghanistan with the 45th Medical Co.
In a telephone interview, Carwell recounted his first mission in Afghanistan less than a week after arriving.
"A father was walking with his family to a wedding when one of the kids stepped on a land mine. I don't know how many people got killed, but I picked up two children. The little boy was 7, the same age as my son, and his sister was 13. The boy was in worse condition ... the back of his leg was blown off.
"I remember seeing him lying on the stretcher in the hospital. I felt so sorry for him. The next day I went to visit him after his surgery. The doctors could not save his leg, so it had to be removed."
Carwell, son of James Sr., and Gladys Carwell Sr., was raised in Campbell and graduated in 1991 from Memorial High School, where he played football.
Carwell enlisted in the Army a few months after graduating from high school. He always wanted to travel, his mother said.
During his 14 years in the Army, he has been in Germany, his current duty station; Fort Knox, Ky.; Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Benning, Ga.; and in Korea and Japan.
As a Blackhawk flight medic, Carwell deals with local nationals daily. The medevac Blackhawk flies under the protection of an Apache Attack Helicopter.
Although Carwell's helicopter has never been hit by enemy fire, it remains a dangerous job.Carwell said local residents must be searched before they are treated or evacuated. Carwell heard about one case in which an Afghan man claimed he was injured. After he was placed in an ambulance, two mines and a grenade were found taped to his chest. He pulled the pin on the grenade, but it didn't explode, Carwell said.
On another occasion, Carwell's Blackhawk was called out after a number of Afghan soliders were hurt when their transport vehicle overturned.
"Ours was the first bird to land. We prepped the patients and determined who was going to be transported first. Usually we take about three patients, but with the number of injuries, we took six or seven people in the aircraft," Carwell said.
"We medevac everyone from U.S. and Afghan military personnel, to local nationals, to U.S. contractors, to Afghan children and women, and even enemy prisoners," Carwell said.
Feels fairly safe
Despite the danger, Carwell said he feels pretty safe. "I'm in aviation. I'm not the guy on the ground going on operations or on convoys. I went on a convoy one time, and I prefer to stay in the sky. It can be scary out there if you have to go out on patrol," he said.
That danger worries his mother nonetheless.
"We're very proud of him, but you just don't want him in that situation," Gladys Carwell said.
Feels appreciated
Carwell, who is in his first tour in the Middle East and due home in May, said the few Afghans he has talked to seem to appreciate the United States' being there. "They have more freedoms than they used to have," he said.
On a typical day, if he is not called out on a mission, Carwell might have a training flight, medical classes or extra training at a hospital.
"Over here, we get to do a lot more than medics stateside. For example, when you take patients to the hospital, sometimes you can observe and help out further," he said.
But, he said: "We don't have the freedom. At home, when you get out of work you can go to the mall. Here you wear a uniform 24 hours a day."
Carwell said would like to go into business after he leaves the military, in six years. Many private contractors hire medical personnel in Afghanistan, he said. "Becoming a nurse or a doctor would be my backup," he said.
Living conditions
Carwell, who has been living at a Marine Corps camp for a little over a month, said living conditions depend on which camp you are at and what stage of development it is in.
"I am based out of Bagram [Air Base]. We probably have the best living conditions in the area," he said.
Carwell said he talks with his parents at least once a wee and talks frequently with his two children. "I communicate a lot by e-mail," he said.
U.S. military personnel are confined to base, so Carwell works out at the gym, listens to music, watches television, plays chess and is taking college business courses. Even if they could get off base, there isn't much in Afghanistan.
"I mean, there aren't any thriving metropolises with neon lights, shopping malls and clubs," he said.
alcorn@vindy.com