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9th MDOS Medic Receives Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By A1C George Cloutier
  • 9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A captain with the 9th Medical Operations Squadron recently received a bronze star medal for her contributions to the welfare of the people of Iraq.

Capt. Samantha Elmore, 9th MDOS public health chief, served as the functional specialties public health veterinary epidemiologist with the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, from Oct. 13, 2006 to March 15, 2007 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Captain Elmore and her team of civil affairs professionals made numerous contributions to the health and quality of life of the Iraqi people. Their efforts were part of a coalition effort to win the Global War on Terror by improving conditions which foster terrorism.

The captain's first assignment upon arrival in Bagdad was to assess the Baghdad City Morgue.

"We were looking at sanitation and hygiene and what we could do for them," the captain said. "They had refrigeration units, but none of them worked. They were just stacking bodies on floors, or outside, or in refrigeration units that didn't work."

The captain said her work at the morgue and the reports she submitted to coalition leadership led to the facility receiving much needed refrigeration units as well as body bags, which they were in desperate need of.

When the assessment of the morgue was complete, the captain's next assignment was to assess a series of hospitals.

"These hospitals were nothing like the hospitals in the states," the captain said. "Sometimes people didn't even want to go to the hospitals because there's no medication and no supplies. There was no staff, no drugs and no supplies, so we just kept coming to see what we could do to help them, even a little bit."

Captain Elmore's assessment of the hospital facilities lead to the approval of a $300,000 package to provide much needed relief in the form of new equipment, medication and the cleaning and sanitizing of facilities and equipment.

Captain Elmore said it was her next and final assignment that was the most rewarding. She was tasked to be part of the creation of the first ever Preparatory Iraqi Nurse Course.

"We put a course together that was basically an introductory to nursing," the captain said. "Our target was rural women who never had a chance to go to school after about sixth grade."

The captain taught 17 Iraqi women the basics of nursing, including wound care, microbiology and cardio pulmonary resuscitation.

According to the captain, the women who attended the class faced great danger and threats to themselves and their families. Despite these dangers, they persisted in attending the class and were very grateful for the opportunity to improve their quality of life.

"We had a little formal ceremony at the end where they walked across the stage and got lab coats and stethoscopes," the captain said. "They thought it was one of the greatest moments in their lives to be able to walk across that stage."

The captain said at the time she was preparing to return from her deployment her team was working on nationalizing the program.

Through her actions, Captain Elmore improved the lives of countless Iraqis and ensured the success of coalition forces in winning the Global War on Terror.