Iraq,2008 "Oh my God, dude. I can't feel my face" This next story might not be sexy, but I'm willing to bet too many of you can relate to it. In the wonderful landscape of northern Iraq, six teammates and myself were creeping our way through the night to a small village somewhere outside the city of Samarra. We were doing the typical "low and slow" to avoid alerting anyone to our presence. We were about a hundred meters off to the side of a main road and spaced-out in a s

If I could only pick five items to control bleeding, what would they be? For me, this isn't even a hard decision. They would be the exact same items I've used in war and right here in the U.S.A that are time tested, proven, easy to use and effective. Seriously, though, can we take a second and admire that picture up top? The tools of heroes on a beautiful fall morning in the greatest country on earth. Damn, I freaking love living in America. In the few years I was deploy

Loosing someone close to you is tough. Trying to press on without them is even tougher. If you really want to make it harder on yourself, try carrying the weight of that loss with you every day. Personally, I'll always carry the ones I've lost in my heart, but I've learned after years to never let their ghosts ride on my shoulders. I've personally experienced the loss of teammates and friends on multiple occasions. Each time only seemed to be worse than the last. Each

Mark Quigley, left. Iraq What if I told you everyone has to be brave in combat, but not everyone is actually valorous? To put it...

Tyler, (Iraq 2008) Does sticking the most expensive gear in a bag make a better medic? If there's one thing tactical medicine and modern...

What if I told you; not everybody who losses their life in a war actually died there? That might seem strange to some, but it was the...

Near death experiences aren't meant to be funny, but this next one could be if you turn down the light on your humor. Y'all, not all...

Two medics with the 101st Airborne Division treat an Iraqi casualty in Iraq, 2007. A fundamental in battlefield medicine that's been...

Keep it simple stupid!   The world is full of better options.  Ask anyone who married their high school sweetheart.  In the world of...

Of all the fights, struggles and battles some of have faced in the military, sleep is probably the strangest one. My life today is a...

I've said this a million times and I'll say it again; I'm not a tough guy, but I served with a few. On Aprill 22nd 2008, I had the...

(Photo courtesy of the Author) Has anyone ever walked up to you and said, "Happy Memorial Day"? With tomorrow approaching very quickly,...

“Doc!  I don't have an Israeli dressing or compressed gauze! She's bleeding out! What do I do?!”  Don't worry buddy, I don't even use...

Yes, y'all. As a matter of fact, I do. Most people think of an "every day carry" as pistols, knives, gold coins and fancy watches. They probably got that from one of the millions of youtube videos and podcasts out there on how any regular Joe can become the killer man if he just buys all the overpriced stuff the author tells you. In total coincidence, most of the things they list seem to be made by a company they have personal ties with. I'm not saying they're wrong or th

My life isn’t exactly dinner conversation.    I would be very comfortable saying that common socializing hasn’t been my thing for quite a...

I've heard some therapists will say; "If you can't talk about it, then try to write about it". Alright then, challenge accepted. If you...

David Hart, Iraq 2007 Doc is a very coveted tittle. It's one I'm very proud to have held. When your job is to save someone who's been...

Did your platoon ever give you a nickname? Nicknames in the military can be very interesting.  Most people who’ve never been in think...

Before I ever treated my first casualty in combat, I had actually already gotten contact from the enemy.  I wish I could say it was a...

There is a very real dichotomy that exists in combat medicine. The idea of saving the life of the same person who just tried to kill you...