Ngesinye isikhathi emgwaqeni ovulekile we-MC-130 Talon, waphenduka wabheka emuva. Ngamamitha ayikhulu, i-ambulensi yehla enye yemigwaqo emincane eBigram Air Base, e-Afghanistan.
Ilandelela ifu lothuli njengoba libhekela endizeni.
I-ambulensi eyabanjwa ngeSonto ekuseni ngeSonto i-US Special Forces. Ube walimala ngosuku olulandelayo empini enonya nabalandeli be-al Qaeda nabaseTaliban eSigodini sase-Shah-e-kot empumalanga ye-Afghanistan.
UTomas wabheka ngaphakathi kweTalon. Wajabula lapho ebona indiza ikulungele ukuthwala iziguli ezinobuthi nokuthi izidakamizwa eziyisithupha zigibele. Njengoba nje ayeyalile.
"Kubonakala sengathi kuhle konke ukuhamba," uTomas wancenga indlebe yomphathi. I-burly, i-M-16-toting "umthwalo" igoqa futhi yamnika uphawu "OK".
Abadakamizwa bathatha isosha elilimazekile ebhodini. Kwabe sekufika elinye i-ambulensi, futhi maduzane kunezikhali ezimbili ezalimala kule ndege. UTomas wawahlola okokugcina. Kodwa ngaleso sikhathi, amaqembu amabili odokotela, abahlengikazi kanye nochwepheshe bezokwelapha babethathe imali.
"Bonke bangabakho manje," etshela udokotela ohlinzayo. "Nakekela kahle 'em."
La madoda ayesesandleni sakhe, ngakho uTomas washiya indiza. Amamitha ayikhulu ukusuka eTalon, wema ukubuka. Njengoba itekisi away, wahleka.
Ngenxa yokuthi uTomas, umhlengikazi ophezulu wezindiza, wayeyindawo lapho ayefuna ukuba khona, enza lokho ayefuna ukukwenza.
"Ngithunyelwe lapho isenzo khona. Ngaphakathi phakathi kwempi yobuphekula - ngizokwenza ingxenye yami, "esho.
"Futhi lokho kuyiphuthumayo."
I-Talon, evela kuDuke Field, Fla., Yawaleka amasosha eKarshi Khanabad, Uzbekistan. Kwakuwumlenze wesibili wohambo olude owaqala nge-helicopter ukuphuma empini. Kusuka "K-2," amasosha aye esibhedlela e-Incirlik Air Base, eTurkey. Khona-ke i-C-9 Nightingale yabayisa eRamstein Air Base, eJalimane. Ukusuka lapho baya endaweni eseduze ye-Landstuhl Army Regional Centre ukuze bathole ukwelashwa okuqhubekayo. Futhi, kamuva, esibhedlela sase-stateside ukuzophola.
Uhambo lwabo lwasekhaya lwaqala noTomas. Omunye wabaxhumanisi abathathu abahamba ngemikhakha e-Bagram, umsebenzi wakhe ukusiza ukusetha izimo eziphuthumayo ze-aeromedical. Ucele i-airlift futhi waqinisekisa ukuthi indiza yafika kanye nemishini, imithi kanye nemithi edingekayo ukubhekana neziguli.
"Umsebenzi wethu ukuthola iziguli ezingeni elilandelayo lokunakekelwa," esho.
UTomas uphethe isikhwama se-Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron yesi-Oklahoma Air National Guard. Ubizwe emsebenzini ngemuva kokuhlaselwa kwamaphekula ka-Septemba 11, useqedile ukuvakasha kwezinyanga eziyisithupha eBagram. Wagijima ngethuba lokusebenza ku-Operation Enduring Freedom.
Umsebenzi kaTomas ungomunye wabantu abangabonisi umhlengikazi owenza ngoba usebenzisana nemisebenzi yezindiza. Lo msebenzi nabanye baphatha abahlengikazi kude nendawo yabo yendabuko egumbini lombhede.
Kwabahlengikazi abathile, njengoTomas, kuyishintsho esamukelekile, ithuba lokuthola ingxenye yoMbutho Wezindiza lapho abahlengikazi bengavumelani nabo. Kodwa uma bethengisa abamhlophe esibhedlela ngenxa yokushayela ama-fly flight, abanye abahlengikazi bengaphuthelwa ukuhlinzekela ngokubodwa.
Njengomhlengikazi wendiza esebenzayo, uCapt. KC Vo uthe, "Ngezinye izikhathi awuboni umehluko okwenzayo ngoba iziguli zinani isikhathi esifushane." I-vet eyisithupha nesigamu, i-Vo iyahamba ne-Ramstein ye-86th Isiqhema se-Evacation Evacation. "Ngakho awukwazi ukwenza ngqo, ukunakekelwa kwesineke kombhede."
Noma kunjalo, akukho ukusweleka kwabafakizicelo emsebenzini wokunakekelwa kwezindiza. Ngokuphambene nalokho. Nakuba i-Air Force inezinkinga zokuqasha nokugcina abahlengikazi, ayinaso ukuswela kwamavolontiya okushayela indiza.
Ngenxa yabahlengikazi abangaba ngu-3 800 e-Air Force, kunezigunyazo ezingaphansi kuka-200 zabahlengikazi bezindiza, i-Capt.
ULinda Odom uthe. Ungumsebenzi osebenzayo wokunakekelwa kwezindiza ezinakekelayo osebenza ngeVo.
"Imisebenzi yokushayela indiza izuzisa kakhulu - kunomncintiswano omkhulu ukuthola enye yezintambo," esho. I-vet yonyaka ka-12 nangomzuzu owodwa, omunye wabahlengikazi bezindiza abangu-32 base-Odom.
U-Odom, njengoVo, ukhonza eqenjini elithuthumayo. Iqembu lizikhathalela iziguli ezihamba emgwaqweni ukuya nasezibhedlela. E-Ramstein, umsebenzi wokukhuphuka uwela ku-C-9 Nightingale.
Igunya lokugcina
Ebhodini, umqondisi wezokwelapha - umhlengikazi wendiza - uyigunya lokugcina lezokwelapha. Kumele umhlengikazi "enze izinqumo zezokwelapha khona," kusho u-Odom. Akekho osebenza odokotela abazofika ngamamitha angu-24 000. Uthi kuphela uma ucingo "olungaphandle kwendawo yakho," wathi, "ufika emsakazweni bese ushayele udokotela phansi."
Umthwalo omkhulu, wathi. Bambalwa abahlengikazi emitholampilo yezempi noma ezombusazwe benza lokho.
Ku-Incirlik, uCapt. Michelle Maybell wenza ezinye izinqumo. Ungumphathi wezinkampani futhi unomqondo ohlukile. Esikhundleni seziguli, umhlengikazi ophezulu wezindiza unakekela ezinye zezokwelapha.
"Sineqembu elizinakekela zonke izidakamizwa ezidingekayo ukuze bakwazi ukugcina ingqondo yabo emisebenzini yabo," kusho umhlengikazi wokunakekelwa okubucayi. "Kudingeka bacabange ngeziguli zabo. Akukhona ngokuthola imishini nemithi, noma ukuthi bazobuyela kanjani emakamelweni abo. "
I-reservist ne-315th Aeromedical Squadron e-Charleston Air Force Base, SC, iMebelbell yathunyelwa ku-Incirlik kungekudala ngemuva kokuhlaselwa kuka-Septemba 11. Uvolontiya, wajoyina i-43rd Expeditionary Aeromedical Squadron.
Njengomphathi wezinkampani, ufunda enye ingxenye yomsebenzi womhlengikazi wezindiza. Kungumthwalo ongenakho emsebenzini wakhe wokusebenza njengomuntu njengomxhumanisi ongumhlengikazi we-trauma, kodwa oyomsiza ukuthi enze lo msebenzi kangcono. Futhi noma ngabe uthanda ukuhamba, lokho akwenzayo "umsebenzi omuhle".
"Uma ngisaziqhenya, ngizipakishe, ngibathumelele, ngibuyele emuva ngizozisiza ukuba ziqede ngemuva komsebenzi, kunginika umuzwa omuhle," usho kanje. "Umqondo wokufeza okuthile."
Lapho amasosha uThomas ebeka iTalon eBagram ayekulungele ukuhamba esuka ku-Incirlik eya eRamstein, kwakunguMebelbell owathola ukuthi izimboni zilungele ukuhamba nazo.
"Ngiyazi ukuthi senze ingxenye yethu ukwenza lo mkhankaso uphumelele," esho.
Kuqondene nokukhathalela
Ngesikhathi iYurophu, eMpumalanga Ephakathi nase-Asia Minor yilapho isenzo siyizinsuku, abahlengikazi bezindiza bakhonza emhlabeni jikelele. Umsebenzi wabo - kanye nomsebenzi osebenzayo, abahlinzayo bezindiza, abahlinzeki bezindiza nabachwepheshe bezindiza - ukuhlinzeka iziguli ukunakekelwa kochwepheshe emoyeni ngenkathi besendleleni eya esibhedlela.
Lokhu kuyingxenye yokuhlinzeka ngamalungu ensizakalo, uMnyango Wezokuvikela izakhamuzi nemindeni yabo izinga lokunakekelwa kwabantu baseMelika balindele, uLt. Col. Kirk Nailling uthe. Umqondisi we-86th of operation nomhlengikazi omkhulu, wathi abahlengikazi badlala indima ebalulekile kule nqubo.
"Sinabantu abaningi emhlabeni wonke abangenza ngezinqubo zokulondoloza impilo," esho. Kodwa-ke kuwumsebenzi wethu ukubenza bazinakekele ngokuningiliziwe. "
I-Operation Enduring Freedom ifakazela lokho. Ngamanye amabutho aseMelika ahlukumeze empini e-Afghanistan uye waba nomhlengikazi ohlangothini lwakhe lapho egibela indiza eya esibhedlela.
Ngezinye izikhathi ezinjengaleyo, isihlengikazi nesibopho sezokwelapha. Yilokho okwenzeka ekuphumeni kokuqala ku-Incirlik kuya eRamstein ngamabhomu ahlaselwe e-Afghanistan, kusho uCaptain Brenda Parker. Omunye umhlengikazi wezimoto eRamstein, wayengumqondisi wezokwelapha kulolo moya.
"Kwakungokubambisana, ukusebenzisana, nokuxhumana kahle," esho. "Angikaze ngibone okufanayo."
Umzamo weqembu. Yilokho okudingekayo ukuhlinzekela ukunakekelwa okuphezulu, kusho u-Nailling. Futhi lokho ukunakekelwa kokuqala ekilasini kukhona into yokugibela abahlengikazi abanethemba lokunikeza isikhathi ngasinye esithatha emoyeni. Lokho, wathi, "yilokho okwenza ukuba umhlengikazi wezindiza azuzise kakhulu."
UTomas wavela emgodini omncane wegumbi lapho yena nomunye umhlengikazi ebizwa khona. Kwakusegumbini elincane elincane elivulekile nelingenalutho lombhoshongo wokulawula waseSoviet. Usikhumule ubuthongo ngoba amehlo akhe afika eminye imizuzu embalwa.
Wahlangana nabo bonke abalimele. Yona kuphela indlela ayengayibona ngayo ukulimala. Lokho kwakuyisinyathelo sokuqala ekuqaliseni ukuthi luhlobo luni lokuthutha lokuxhumanisa. Futhi njengoba odokotela bephatha noma bebopha abalimele, uThomas wathola indlela yokubakhupha eBagram.
Umvuzo wakhe ubona abalimele beshiya isisekelo, beya esibhedlela bese bebuyela ekhaya. Kuye, lokho yedwa kwakukubonga ngokwenza umsebenzi omncane - uma kukhona - abantu bazi.
"Laba bantu bafaka ukuphila kwabo emgqeni," esho. Ukuzikhonza kuyisimangaliso. Futhi ukuthatha izinyanga eziyisithupha empilweni yami ukuba ngikwenze lokho umhlatshelo omncane okwanele uma kuqhathaniswa nalokho abakwenzayo. "
Isihloko Esiphezulu Ngokwe-Airman Magazine