Courtesy Photo | Spc. Kristen Colby and Capt. Jeff Scott, both with Company C, 26th Brigade Support...... read more read more
Spc. Kristen Colby and Spc. Krista Ceretti
214th FB PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – In the remote and austere operating environment of FOB Delta, the ability to defeat ailments as common as the toothache keeps many Coalition Force soldiers engaged in their mission and preserves limited medical evacuation resources for only the most severe cases.
On Dec. 8, Company C, 26th Brigade Support Battalion, the 948th Forward Surgical Team and the Georgian army collaborated to perform oral surgery on a 3rd Georgian Brigade soldier. The patient arrived at the hospital a few days prior with a major oral infection and an extreme phobia of any kind of dental procedure.
The coordinated efforts of Capt. Jeff Scott, Co. C, 26th BSB dental officer, and the 948th FST prevented the evacuation of the Soldier from FOB Delta to Baghdad's 26th Combat Support Hospital, a 60-minute trip by air. The medical support provided at FOB Delta enabled the soldier to return to duty in hours instead of days or weeks.
To overcome the patient's phobia, Capt. Peter Strube, 948th Forward Surgical Team certified registered nurse anesthesiologist, put the patient under general anesthesia. Scott operated with the assistance of Spc. Kristen Colby, Co. C, 26th BSB dental technician, and Staff Sgt. Carlos Shelton, 984th FST operating room technician, under the watchful eye of Gelashvili, the Georgian army's dentist.
"It is a nice feeling to be able to help someone who has been in a great deal of pain," Scott said once the operation was finished.
As the only U.S. Army dental asset on FOB Delta, Scott and Colby routinely serve as the last stop for many Coalition Forces from places such as the Republic of Georgia, El Salvador, and Kazakhstan when they are struggling with infections and trauma of the mouth and face.
"Through the use of better facilities, technology and training, the Co. C, 26 BSB dental team prevents on average more than 50 of the 60 minute MEDEVAC flights to the CSH per month," said Capt. Bradley Hudson, Company C commander. "The Crusader Dental Team is a real force multiplier for the effort in Wasit Province."
The Company C dental team put their skills to further use Dec. 10 treating the Wasit Police Chief Maj. Gen. Abd Al Haninn Hamud Faysal, who was brought in for specialized dental care for an acute and painful oral condition.
| Date Taken: | 12.14.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 12.17.2007 10:54 |
| Story ID: | 14732 |
| Location: | AL KUT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 61 |
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