Navy Medical Embedded Training Team

I just wanted to drop you a line letting you know that we greatly appreciated your care packages over the holidays. I am with a group of 24-member Navy Medical Embedded Training Team working with the Army to mentor Afghan National Army hospital personnel. I know, a Navy medical team conducting operations on dry land in land-locked Afghanistan for one year (dare I say it...the "Wackiest Ship in the Army"). I am including a picture of some of the group as well as a few "scenes" from Afghanistan. Enjoy, and I pray you have a blessed 2008.

CDR W. G. Knight

NMH Lab ETT Mentor

CSTC-A

Command Surgeon Office

Adversity is the stuff that shows whether you are what you thought you were.

-- American Proverb

The Kabul Orthopedic Clinic

The Kabul Orthopedic Clinic fits people with prosthetics, provides rehabilitation, massage, and mental health treatment, free of charge, to more than 10,000 disabled patients a year.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most heavily mined countries. Over 250,000 Afghans suffer from disabilities associated with mines; mines maim 500 Afghans a year.

Most patients we visited were young amputees or children with other disabilities such as cerebral palsy or polio.

Some patients had completely preventable disabilities but most Afghans don’t have access to proper medical care and medications.

Volunteer Community Relations (VCR) is an all-volunteer program made possible by the generous donations of new and gently used clothing, toys, and school supplies from Americans back home.

VCR Program (Pool House)

CSTC-A

APO AE 09356

Thanks for the support!

201st RCAG, Afghanistan

Thank you very much for the card. I shared it with the troops and each one had a smile on their faces. I then hung it up on my wall for display.

I myself hail for Pittsburgh, PA. I've since moved to North Carolina where I am an Air Force Reservist at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. I volunteered for this duty in Afghanistan. The military has been good to me and I only felt it was time to give something back. I appreciate your support in what we are trying to accomplish over here in Afghanistan. You don't see the good things on the news but I assure you good things are taken place. Just a few of my buddies and me passed out some small stuffed animals to some children. Their smiles were radiant.

Notes like yours have that same effect on our troops. It is the little things that make such a big difference.

I hope this email finds you well. I am attaching a picture when the group was still in training. We've since split up to different locations but a majority of them are stationed with me. I am wearing orange tinited glass. Thanks again. Have a great Holiday Season.

Ted Janicki

201st RCAG

Afghanistan