A Sick Call of Change

I had an interesting sick call last night. Usually, I do a sick call about 1700 (5PM) every evening for the ANP. I'm available 24/7 for "emergencies" but I don't flaunt that to the ANP because everything would be an "emergency." All you providers have seen the headache that's been hurting for and hour yet presents to the ER without even the effort of a Tylenol. Here its 2 hours, 2day, 2 months or 2 years. Whatever. But onward.......I wear many hats as the only Army officer on the compound. We've got a Navy 04 here but for the guys on our team, well, he doesn't count as far as leadership goes. Truthfully, SGM is the leader of the team and I'm here to be an asset to him. Anyway, I have to operate on the medical, management, infantry, etc level and deal with the ANP leadership on that same level. Most of the culture here is wrapped around taking care of the leadership, the father if you will. Our military is based on an opposite philosophy. The superiors are to lead and take care of their subordinates. Since being in country, I've not seen one example of the superior taking care of his people, until last night. The Watch Officer for the night came to our terp (Sofat) at 2000 hrs (8PM), 3 hours past sick call. I was in our finally working kitchen and Sofat came to get me and ask on behalf of the officer if I would see his sick men. I said "What? An officer is asking? You serious?!?" Sofat "Sir, he has a list of his sick men and their complaints." "Well, hell Sofat, lets go do it!" The officer introduced himself to me and sat down and checked of his list of men as they came in to see me. 15 people and 1.5 hours later I was done. I told him that he showed the best example of leadership I'd seen on both ANA and ANP sides since I'd been in country. It was the first time I felt even a little bit of hope for this place. What a well needed feeling to justify the pains of being away from home.