FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO - Seeing the sad faces of sick and hurting Afghan children waiting for care at the local national clinic here melts the heart of Spc. Jessica Guzzetti, a Task Force Talon medic who admits a soft spot for little ones.
“I love kids, and it’s hard seeing them when they are sick or hurt,” Guzzetti explained after treating a young boy whose body was heavily bandaged from head to toe. “And it’s especially hard sometimes when you can’t fix them up or do anything for them.”
Although that is rarely the case, in the nine months she has worked at the free clinic that cares for dozens of Afghan children each day, two have died - one in the first week her unit, the 1-183rd Aviation Regiment from Boise, Idaho, arrived here in January.
The child’s death was a wake-up call for Guzzetti, who deployed expecting to take care of Soldiers with routine illnesses at morning sick call. She found a different call to duty.
“It’s hard when things don’t go right,” she said. “That’s always the hardest part, when things go wrong when you do your best but you can’t always save them…but it’s a lesson learned. You get through it; you get up the next day and keep going.”
Which is why the 20-year-old medic returns here each day: working at the clinic and caring for Afghan children is what motivates her. When she is not caring for U.S. Soldiers at the Task Force aid station, she can be found here, decked out in green scrubs and purple gloves helping make children well. Guzzetti is one of seven Talon medics who volunteer at the clinic.
“We have patients seven days a week,” she explained. “Most of the patients we see are children, most of them have broken bones, and we treat a lot of burns and other ailments.”
Guzzetti noted that sometimes the children’s injuries and ailments have progressed “because of lack of or access to medical care.”
“They either don’t know that we are here for them, or they don’t feel comfortable seeing us,” she explained.
Those Afghans who do have trust are extremely grateful, she added, often reflecting that gratitude any way they can.
“Sometimes they bring us small gifts, like jewelry and other stuff. It’s not much, but it’s their way of showing they appreciate what we do,” she said. “And they always want to take pictures with you, or want you to sit down with them and have tea, or they want to shake your hand…they definitely make sure that you know they are thankful for what you do.”
The appreciation of the Afghan people has made her deployment here satisfying. Guzzetti volunteered for the deployment a few months after completing Advance Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. She said she didn’t know what she was getting herself into then, but her experiences here have made her not regret the decision.
“A lot of Soldiers sometimes feel miserable on a deployment because they don’t feel like their job is very important,” she said. “Here, not only am I gaining a lot of valuable experience that will help me in the civilian world, but I’m also helping the Afghan people, and it’s good to see there are people who really appreciate us being here, and what we are doing. A lot of Soldiers don’t get to see that.”
But what Guzzetti wants to see most is that her efforts made a difference in the minds of Afghan children.
“Hopefully the children will remember what we’ve done here. Right now all of their beliefs, dislikes, and hatreds are passed down through generations, from what their parents teach them,” she said. “But I think those people who realize we are here to help them will teach their children differently, and that will make a difference in the world.”
Guzzetti shares those messages with family back home who are very proud of the work she is doing.
Capt. Terry Hashey, the Task Force flight surgeon and Guzzetti’s supervisor, said, “(Guzzetti) is wise beyond her years. She’s very motivated and enthusiastic about her work. She’s a super Soldier who always rises to the occasion, and she is definitely the right soldier for this particular mission.”
Still, her mother worries, and with good reason.
Guzzetti’s father, a 20-year veteran now serving in the National Guard, is also serving in theater. He is stationed in Kandahar, although the two have yet to link up. In addition, her brother and uncle, both National Guardsmen, recently returned from duty in Iraq.
“My mom worries a lot, so I can’t tell her everything that is going on. I don’t want to stress her out too much. My dad is in country as well, so she worries about both of us and that really drives her crazy sometimes.”
Those worries will end, however when the 1-183rd unit returns home. Guzzetti plans to finish her college degree then, something she started here in theater.
“I want to become a nurse,” she said. “And I want to specialize in pediatric care. It’s one field that’s very rewarding.”