Questions about best friend injured in Iraq?

Question

my best friend of 12 years was deployed to the infantry unit in Iraq a few months ago. We talked whenever we could. A few days ago. He was shot multiple times throughout his body, including his chest. He's in horrible shape right now. I cry when I think or talk about him.

If he does survive, how long would it take to get him back to the States?

I know he will need tons of help and company, so what are some things that I should do for him? Also, I need to relax and clear my mind before anything else happens. Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do?

I know it would be very noble of him to die for our country, but it's not his time yet. The last thing I will ask you to do is please pray for him.

Thank you and God bless.

Answer 1

:( thats sad, and h**l be kept overseas until hes in good enough condition to return home. ^^ i also prayed for him and may god bless him

Answer 2

As a former Army wife, my heart breaks when I hear these stories. He will be kept overseas until he is stable enough to be flown elswhere. And then depending on how bad he still is, they may keep him at a VA hospital until he is recovered. He, and his family, and you as well will all be in prayers! As are all our service men and women are! God bless you and your friend!

Answer 3

I'm very sorry for your Friend. i may not know much about the army, but maybe god has other plans for your Friend. i hope he is ok and i hope you are to. Don't worry things will get better

Answer 4

hes gonna die.

Answer 5

Kat your friend should be ok:) they usually fly the wounded soldiers to Landstuhl in Germany and in a little while I hope he's back for you! My Dad's in the Army but thank God nothing happened over there, I will say a prayer for your friend and I hope that he comes home soon!

Answer 6

I pray that your friend recovers and is in well condition, soon. Hopefully this will be a sign to him that fighting wars solves no problems.

Answer 7

the Army hospitals in the field are actually very good, and experienced, and when he is well, enough to stand up to the journey involved, he will be returned to America, while he is travelling, he will be accompanied by qualified staff and all the equipment needed to ensure his safety, but it all depends on the degree of injury, and his personal healing rate, but if he has survived long enough to get to a field hospital then his chances are much better, than many realise.

The first 12 minutes, usually determines the likelihood of survival with gunshot victims, but if treated in that time, even with first aid, the chances of dying recede deramatically.

The first thing that you need to realise, to help, is that you need to keep your emotions on hold, (here the British, "stiff upper lip" comes in handy), much of the information that an injured person gets about their condition, and its affect, or consequences, are as a result of those they speak to, and the way to approach this is to be positive, it helps if you avoid giving opinions about how bad it is, answers should be upbeat, i.e. a medic in the field will often say, (even when the man they treat is unconscious) "it's okay, you are going to make it, you will hurt for a while, but you will make it"...

I have seen a woman tell a patient, that the scarring they were worried about,  looked "quite s**y", and others who lost limbs, being told, that it would be "funny watching them swim with the kids", cruel ?, well no, not really, these remarks contain an obvious point, that the expectation of life, is inherent in them, that things will go on, like the graveyard humour, that the average British soldier seems to have had for several hundred years, it has a purpose, i.e Patient: (after losing his legs),"Doctor will I be able to play the piano ?" Doctor: Yes of course, you will.... Patient :"Thats odd I couldn't before ".....

But if you act as if the life of the person involved was coming to an end, it may well do so, just not in the expected way, people need to know, not just that they are wanted by others, but that they can be a human being, capable and no less whole, for being hurt, it is your job to see this happens, so NO, and I mean NO tears, they may help you but they also hurt others, when injured there is nothing that I personally hate to see , than anothers tears, or distress, it makes me feel that I should be comforting them, and when I am badly hurt, I do not want to feel that I am not in a position to do so , that only makes me feel worse, if I can not even put my arms around my wife while she cries, it is so much harder.

So, right now "you"   ARE THE ANCHOR, IN THIS STORM, THINK OF THE OTHER, NOT YOURSELF, and I say this advisedly, TOUGHEN UP, because the last thing they need is a weeping willow at their bedside, support, not sympathy, is what cures,  if it did not, then a nurse would be useless if they broke down after years of working in this type of situation, they are tough, for a good reason, but do not get confused by "tough" and "heartless".

I know that I will take a hard nut, over a weeping wallflower, anyday, if I have to fight back all the way, I need that help, not tears, and so will your friend, you do not have to be cruel, but do not let him think that he is anything but temporarily hurt, tell him from me, (even if he is not awake, yet, he will still hear you, and if you do not believe it, watch the monitors,  while you talk), to stop lying about, being a lazybones, and get up onto his feet, and do something...after all, your tax dollars are paying him, and you want value for your money...

Practise, not prayers, are what is needed now, and if you have faith, then understand that Jesus was a practical man, and leave what is Gods up to God, you deal with what is needed....( an old saying, from the Boer war, may help here, "Believe in God, but keep your ammunition dry" ! ), and thank the surgeons, and staff, they, not God, are what will help.. even if you argue that the skills they have, are God given, they are the ones who will give him his best chance.......

Answer 8

I am so sorry to hear that this has happened to your friend. Someone has to be in pretty decent condition before they are stable enough to fly. Hopefully he will survive and make it back home soon. In the mean time, pray and keep in contact with the family. Offer to assist his family in anyway you can.  

Answer 9

i honestly cannot answer your question due to lack of knowledge, but i appreciate everything your friend is doing for our country, he is a true hero my prayers go out to you and your friend, God bless.

Answer 10

I'm sorry about your friend, that is awful. I pray that he recovers as quick as possible. When he does recover, just be there for him in any way he needs you to be. I'm sure you already know, but don't pressure him to open up about anything. If he wants to talk about anything, he will talk when he is ready.

Judging by your request for prayers, it is obvious that you have faith in God. So the last thing I want to say is just pray for him, but you also have to have faith that God not only hears your prayers, but that he will answer your prayers. Prayer without faith is pointless. So pray without a doubt that God is watching over and taking care of your friend.