The high desert and rugged hills of the south eastern Afghan province of Zabul have long been unforgiving to many outsiders. Yet those who arrive and live in such a harsh environment sometimes find themselves on the receiving end, as Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Phillip Zarate recently did.

Zarate was nominated for advancement under the Combat Meritorious Advancement Program for providing lifesaving assistance as part of the U.S. Army-led Saber Embedded Transition team in the far-flung region.

Zarate is the sole U.S. medical provider for his team on Forward Operating Base Shamulzai, which is comprised of six other U.S. military personnel and approximately 60 Afghan National Army soldiers. The 21-year old corpsman from Fresno, Calif. has answered a litany of medical calls and combat-related emergencies during his year-long deployment.

Perhaps his most serious call for help since arriving down range in September 2008 came in the early evening hours of March 6, as two young Afghan teens, ages 13 and 15, were seriously injured by exploded ordnance. Shrapnel wounds covered their entire bodies, and they also were suffering head trauma and severe lower body lacerations and abrasions.

Additionally, one of the local nationals (referred to as LNs) had lost his right hand past the wrist with the other hand barely held in place. Zarate quickly assessed them and immediately began rendering emergency first aid. He placed four tourniquets on one and had to ensure the other’s airwave was unobstructed. Both casualties were placed on liters for further treatment.

Zarate then orchestrated and directed tactical trauma care with help from two Embedded Transition Team (ETT) soldiers and one Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier, preventing both casualties from going in hypovolemic shock (which is caused due to massive loss of blood).

His ability to control the Casualty Control Point while giving information on the situation to the ETT team leader allowed for a rapid turn around for both to be medically evacuated by aircraft. Zarate, assisted by 10 ANA soldiers, handled both liters and carried them over 500 yards to the landing zone closely monitored them along the way by continuing to reassess and reassure them en-route to the aircraft.

When both patients were handed over to the flight medic and the turn-over brief was completed, they were stable. According to Major Adrian Spevak, U.S. Army, commanding officer of ARSIC South, Zarate’s competence and ability to take control of the situation saved the life of one and gave the other a chance of survival.

Zarate has also answered the Corpsman call in combat. In late November, he was at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shamulzai near the volatile Pakistan border area. It’s an area hotly contested by Taliban insurgents, as was the case when a team of them on motorcycles attacked the FOB with rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and small arms. Zarate was conducting a Combat Life Saver class with ANA soldiers at the time.

The gun fire and explosions immediately brought him and the ETT commander into action. Zarate set up a Casualty Collection Point and minutes later was rendering aid to an ANA soldier suffering from serious eye and nose trauma. Zarate applied immediate pressure to staunch the bleeding and then dressed the wound. Once the ANA solider was stabilized and he was sure there were no other injuries, he then joined the rest of his team in defending the FOB and fighting off the Taliban force.

“Zarate has been doing a remarkable job since his arrival. He has treated well over 200 patients, including ANA, local civilians, ANP, and has helped Operational Detachments Alpha (ODA is the primary fighting force of the Green Berets) medics with their patients as well. He has exceeded and excelled above his pay grade,” said Spevak. 

Zarate also teaches combat lifesavers courses to ANA Soldiers, holds Sick Call and deals with a lot of preventive medicine concerns such as gastro-intestinal illness, muscular skeletal injuries and dehydration.

“It’s very different from a hospital setting,” said Zarate. “Going from Navy to an Army standard takes some getting used to. Working with them is easy. The Army is doing great things and to be deployed with them longer than I’ve been with a Navy command is an experience I’ll never forget.”

The middle of August will be the three year mark for Zarate in the Navy and like many others, being away from family has been the most difficult aspect of his IA deployment. “When I was little I never thought I would be doing what I’m doing now,” he said. “I miss (my) family, air conditioning, green trees, and not having to wear body armor to go 75 meters out from where I sleep.”