From NAVCENT, here’s a good news story you probably won’t read about anywhere in the national press:
KHAWR AL AMAYA OIL TERMINAL, Iraq – The quick response of two USS Port Royal (CG 73) crew members saved the life of an Iraqi contract worker overcome by smoke inhalation while fighting a fire on Khawr Al Amaya oil terminal (KAAOT) May 26.
As part of Commander, Task Group (CTG) 158.1 emergency response team, Chief Hospital Corpsman Doreen Lehner and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Heather Watts were the only medical personnel on the scene when an Iraqi Southern Oil Company worker collapsed due to smoke inhalation…
“He was breathing, but struggling, when we got there,” explained Lehner. “Then he slipped out of consciousness. He had a very weak pulse, and he was posturing [the stiffening of the extremities associated with hypoxia]. I knew we needed to give him an IV [intravenous feed].”
A thrilling read, “read more” and get the rest. Funny thing, though: If there was a hint of impropriety or scandal anywhere in what follows, you’d have the chance to read about it in the NY Times. But no, sadly – it’s a good news story of American service people fighting – hard – to save an Iraqi life.
Lehner and Watts had to overcome the language barrier between them and the victim’s co-workers to convince them that he needed an IV.
“I knew he was probably dehydrated, but when I gave him the IV, he stopped breathing for 2 to 3 minutes,” Lehner said. The independent duty trained corpsman then attempted to insert a breathing tube down his throat.
‚ÄúHe was unconsciously fighting the tube, but he hadn’t breathed in about two minutes,‚Äù she said. ‚ÄúI knew we were losing him.‚Äù
“His jaw was clenched tight and his tongue was blocking his airway,” related Watts, a native of Pharr, Texas. “It was pretty scary. I was just trying to stay focused and grab everything Chief was asking for. His friends were on either side of him helping us, rubbing his arms and legs to help with circulation, and praying and encouraging him to breathe.”
Lehner said she was afraid to move the Iraqi in his weakened condition, even though the platform was being evacuated. Phipps, who was torn between concern for the safety of his Sailors and the well-being of the victim, stayed with Lehner and Watts throughout the ordeal.
“There was still a certain amount of risk on the platform, but it was obvious that he was badly injured,” Phipps said. “We had to make the decision to do whatever we could to help him and the other terminal workers.”
Lehner said in desperation, she tried to insert the oral airway again. This time, it provoked his gag reflex and stimulated him to gasp for air.
“It was like he came back to life,” said Lehner. “He quickly sat up and he gasped for air, then started coughing, and coughed out a lot of that fluid. I cleared his airway, got all the fluid out and utilized the bag-valve-mask to provide rescue breathing. Then we hurried him out of there.”
The Iraqi was transported via RHIB to nearby USS Ogden (LPD 5). He stopped breathing three times before they got to their destination and had to have the oral airway reinserted to prompt his reflexes again. The team then medical evacuated him via helicopter to USS Peleliu (LHA 5), which has a higher echelon medical facility aboard. He is currently in Basra and in good condition.
‚ÄúThis is the first time that I’ve saved somebody’s life,‚Äù said Watts. ‚ÄúAnd it’s a reward in itself, like you’re walking on air. It’s amazing.‚Äù
Port Royal, as part of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3, is deployed in support of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the North Arabian Gulf. MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the North Arabian Gulf and protect Iraq’s sea-based infrastructure to help provide the Iraqi people the opportunity for self-determination.
BZ, corpsmen!
Interestingly, buried in the Haditha story that is currently running on CNN.com, I found the story in the link below, from a reporter who had been embedded with the Marine unit that now stands accused of the murders:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/30/damon.iraq.btsc/index.html
Wish this wasn’t buried like it is – the reporter talks about all the GOOD things the soldiers are doing, the extreme caution they take before they shoot or engage anyone, and the shock she feels at the possibility that what happened in Haditha, actually happened.
This is the kind of stuff – like Lex’s post – that we SHOULD be reading about on a daily basis. It would keep everything else that is shoved down our throats, in perspective.
Good catch Kris!
Thanx Ivan. I almost passed it by, it’s such a tiny link in the Haditha story. And that’s a shame, especially considering the reporter works for CNN and the story is buried on CNN.com. Makes you wonder why doesn’t it? Their own reporter is actually PRAISING the actions of the very Marines that the rest of the MSM is seeking to crucify without trial. Why wouldn’t they want to showcase it?
Doesn’t. Fit.
heh. guess who was on watch when the KAOOT blew up?
Turned into the busiest/fastest watch I’ve had out here.
Bad things always happen in this AOR on 3 day weekends. Pak earthquake.
Submarine/merchant collision
something else that happened before I got here. (I forget)
Kevin,
Drop a note when you can; I’ve got shipmates in the area, and you’ve likely met at least one…
The blaming the media thing is overdone IMHO. That’s like asking why Time magazine does not report the heroic efforts of a EMT to save the victim of a traffic accident, something that happens all over America everyday. There efforts are courageous as are the work of the Corpsmen here. Its local news and gets covered in local papers. Its good news nonetheless.
The media is what it is, a business that makes choices based on what it thinks its market is. The great thing though about living in the information age is that there are plenty of places to find the stories and the points of view one wants to read. The problem is looking at the context.
And the context here is that it happened in Iraq. If it had happened in Kuwait you would might have read about it because Kuwait does not have all the other mayhem going on. Iraq on the other hand is a dysfunctional nation where people run around setting off bombs, so it gets lost in the noise. A lot of other good deeds do too. The reward is in doing the good deed.
For every NYT, there is a Washington Times. For CNN there is a FOX news. For every NRO there is the New Republic. To me there is no such thing as “the media”. There are different papers and one can get the news one chooses.
Plus lets be honest. Where you sit determines what you see. I think people realize this type of thing goes on every day. But its counterbalanced by the fact that there are still 130,000+ AMERICANS who should have been out of Iraq well before this……………For an AMERICAN, that’s what is important.
re: ” But its counterbalanced by the fact that there are still 130,000+ AMERICANS who should have been out of Iraq well before this?
re: ” But its counterbalanced by the fact that there are still 130,000+ AMERICANS who should have been out of Iraq well before this……………For an AMERICAN, that’s what is important.”
I simply decline to be baited, Skip. Gomen
Wasn’t trying to bait you. Its just that is what is the background. The people who read this story have a certain view point. The people who read the Times have another one. Like I’ve said before, when it comes to Iraq I have to struggle internally to maintain objectivity. I am what I am……….
“…why Time magazine does not report the heroic efforts of a EMT to save the victim of a traffic accident, something that happens all over America everyday….”
Skip, I agree with you in theory. But in practice, as Lex has said, it doesn’t fit – every day good and bad things happen in this country and most MSM report some of both. But when it comes to the war, they only thing they seem to want to focus on is the bad. And that’s the elemental problem, at least to me.
Kris,
But actually they do. Just like in domestic news, you have to know where to look.
Blaming the “Main Stream Media” is the lazy way out in my opinion. If the good news seems out numbered by the bad, its because that ratio is pretty correct. There is more bad news in Iraq than good, thanks to the fact that Iraq is still a dysfunctional society and will be for some time to come. That’s not the fault of the messenger, its the fault of the Iraqis.
You want good news about Iraq? Its there. You can go to DOD media, BBC, Several American papers, Fox news, and conservative outlets in America and Britain. You want bad news? Just dial in any major American or foreign paper. There is lots to behold. To find the ground truth one has to read both sets of media and figure it out.
I can read plenty of stories of compassion and keeping the faith, from more than just Michael Yon’s blog. However as Herman Wouk wrote, (paraphrased) ” When I’m among [Americans] I don’t sense or fear perfidy. But war weariness is something else. The [insurgent] resilence is ominous. ……….bloodshed on the battlefield remains the decisive thing in wars, and people can only stand so much of it without hope of relief. ”
In the end, the facts are what they are. And normal societies do not go around blowing up cars and people…….(even in Ireland they have learned that.) . So as has been the case for at least the last 200 years, bad news sells.
That’s not the fault of the media, its the fault of the reader who buys the paper. They determine the market.
MSN my ass. Skippy is correct, the purpose of a newspaper is to sell papers and advertising. “Man Bites Dog” is news, “Dog Bites Man” is not. The NYT is driven by market forces, an idea the right wing gives lip service to. He makes a valid point. Each publication is different.
Additionally, one cannot combine the media , protected by the the right to free speech and participating in the free market, with the broadcast media which is regulated by the central government and obligated to curry favor with it.
“That?
“That’s not the fault of the media, its the fault of the reader who buys the paper. They determine the market.”
Skip, I’m sorry but I’m not 100% convinced of this. People buy what the media sells, like sheep or lemmings. I’m not so sure how much influence the reader actually has on the content. I’d be just as happy if my state’s paper (a common rag, so really not a fair comparison here but it’s what I have to go on) had more good news on the front page than bad.
And while some people know where to find balanced sources of the news – like myself – I don’t believe the majority do. I just had lunch with someone today who clearly doesn’t read anything but the state paper here and it’s pretty close to “yellow journalism”. It was obvious she doesn’t read anything else to find the balance – and I’d call her a pretty smart, well educated individual. So while the more balanced outlets are there, I question whether most people either know where to look or worse, have the desire.
There is no such thing as balance. Every writer has a point of view, that’s why the best papers give the writer a byline.
“Oh, that article is by Thomas Paine, he’s a liberal, but, he can turn a phrase.”
When you see an article written by someone whose work you have read before, you know how much weight to give it. I loved reading Safire because you knew his perspective. You can run down Hearst all you want, but, when you picked up one of Willie’s papers you knew where they were comming from. I think our country was better off when the media put their bias on the masthead than we are now when they lie to us and claim to be fair.