CNN 2010-08-06

Remember the TV show MASH¹? And for today's American soldier, the prospect² of meatball surgery a few miles from battlefield is a far cry from the new reality. Huge strides in medicine and technology are saving the lives of injured soldiers who in previous wars may not have survived. Here's CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr in part one of her exclusive series, The Journey Home.

Dayline in the drive radio.

It's before dawn in the trauma³ bay at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. Another soldier wounded in the fighting down south, surgeons, nurses, doing everything they can.

One, two, three.

The journey home starts here. In Vietnam, it could take weeks, but now, wounded can be home in days. CNN was granted exclusive access to see the medical care that makes it possible, and to injured troops, some hours off the frontline. In the hospital hallway, army specialist, James Dennis, is being shipped home after being in 3 attacks in 3 weeks. He had already been here before. He survived 2 roadside bomb attacks in the same day and then a couple of days ago.

It was indirect fire. I was hit by a mortar⁴.

But still smiling.

I'm good right now. They gave me some medicine.

In the latest attack, Dennis ordered junior troops under fire to run for safety. He couldn't get away in time.

I didn't even get started running. And I guess it knocked me out because I remember pushing myself up above the van and had all this blood all over me. And then they medevaced

me.

Dennis praises the doctors and nurses.

These people here are awesome⁵. I mean they do their job. I respect these guys a lot.

Before Dennis is moved to the plane, a last emotional hug from the trauma doc, Captain Joshua Miller⁶.

Vans.

I saw him over there in that wheelchair, and I just took another look at him. I said, man, what are you doing here again? You know, I'm not supposed to see you again, and sure enough, he'd suffered another explosion injury.

The doors have just shut on this air medical evacuation flight here in Bagram, Afghanistan. The wounded have already been loaded. You can see that medical staff is already taking care of them even before we take off. We are about to go on an eight-hour flight back to Germany. These troops are going to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center for further treatment.
 

1 mash   

n.麦芽浆，糊状物，土豆泥；v.把…捣成糊状，挑逗，调情

参考例句：

• He beat the potato into a mash before eating it.他把马铃薯捣烂后再吃。
• Whiskey,originating in Scotland,is distilled from a mash of grains.威士忌源于苏格兰，是从一种大麦芽提纯出来的。

2 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

3 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

4 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

5 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

6 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。