Balad Airman receives Purple Heart Published March 31, 2008 By Maj. Vanessa Hillman 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Capt. (Dr.) Adrian Barcus, an intensive care unit staff physician for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, received a Purple Heart and the Iraqi Campaign Medal from Brig. Gen. Burt Field, 332 AEW commander, at the Air Force Theater Hospital here March 7. Dr. Barcus, deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill., was injured in the line of duty March 6 from an enemy attack here, ironically three days before his deployment was to end. "I had just gotten all my out-processing paperwork completed and was walking away from the hospital," he said. "Then, all of a sudden, it felt like someone had kicked me in the butt." Quick thinking and action on his wingman's part helped get Dr. Barcus medical attention as fast as possible. Capt. (Dr.)Temple Ratcliffe, 332 EMG intensive care unit staff physician, was walking with Dr. Barcus when he was hit by the shrapnel. When they got up from the attack, Dr. Barcus realized something was wrong; Dr. Ratcliffe assessed the wound and then went to a nearby guard shack to call for a stretcher. Returning to Dr. Barcus, he applied direct pressure to the wound while waiting for the stretcher to arrive. "Afterward we were in shock and happy to be in one piece," said Dr. Ratcliffe who is deployed from Lackland AFB, Texas. According to Dr. Barcus' supervisor, Col. (Dr.) Virgil Jefferson, 332 Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron commander, Capt. Barcus is an invaluable asset in the ICU who needed little to no spin-up time before being an effective team member. "He has shown the skill to save the lives of many a patient in the ICU that would have otherwise met their demise," said the colonel who is deployed from Lackland AFB.