7 OCT How cool would it be to be a journalist!

7 OCT How cool would it be to be a journalist!
One of the comforts that I find no matter where I travel in the US is public radio. In any new city, I scan around the dial, usually in the low range of the AM band, until I find my NPR. If I’m not blasting a mix CD from M., I’ve got NPR on the sports bar speakers for the sluggish commute into the hospital and for the mad dash home.

We were chillin’ at the PLX last week when a member of the Air Force Public affairs team strolled in followed by a slim civilian with dark hair and whiskers framing his disarming face. We stood and exchanged pleasantries with Guy Raz of NPR. His voice was so familiar from the radio; it was like being surprised to find an old classmate in a strange city. He was visiting to gather material for a story. Guy has been in and out of Iraq since the start of the war and I have heard numerous intriguing reports from him.

He rode in from the field with a casualty. He observed and recorded us in the ER and the OR. When there were quiet moments, he would question us about injuries we saw, details of treatment, and our impressions. After dinner one night, we retired to the roof to watch departing aircraft drop flares and sample the fumes from the burn pit. Guy has interviewed nearly every combatant commander in Iraq and at the Pentagon. It was fascinating to hear his accounts of press conferences and private family life in Baghdad. We talked about apartments in D.C. which made me miss the East Coast dearly. 

I wish him safe journey home and I hope I will have a chance to hear his perspective on our care of troops and civilians here in Balad.

Be well, rest easy, and support public broadcasting!
Warm regards,
Chris
More on Guy:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6597623