From the Frontlines: Staff Sgt. Michael Shamp

509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Michael Shamp, 509th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician, recently deployed to Camp Leatherneck at Helmand Province, Afghanistan, with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Transit Company from June to December 2011.

His unit’s mission was to supply smaller forward operating bases in Helmand Province with items needed to sustain the mission and everyday life. With missions that took up to 15 days to complete, it was essential for Shamp to be with his unit 24 hours a day so he could provide medical assistance when needed.

"Treating the soldiers to keep them ready for the mission was essential," said Shamp. "If the soldiers on truck commander duty went down, then their entire truck had to get towed."

Not only did he pull medic duties, he also helped his wingmen by providing security so they could get extra hours of sleep.

"Sometimes I would be truck commander if someone needed rest," Shamp said. "If my gunner got hurt, I would pull them down and finish their duties for the rest of the day. Basically, I was like a soccer goalie. Just sitting there waiting for something to happen."

With Shamp’s assistance, his team was able to complete each mission with zero injuries.

"It was pretty exciting and fun for us," Shamp said. "No one ever got hurt during the fire fights."

As opposed to working in a combat zone almost every single day, Shamp’s deployed duties were different from his duties here. Here, he works the ambulance service station where he responds to base emergencies, fires or gas leaks with medical readiness.

"Unless it’s a car wreck or something big, [my job at Whiteman] usually includes transporting a patient and ensuring they are stable en route," Shamp said.

"[One of the big differences] in Afghanistan was the medicines we were able to use," he said. "We don’t use morphine [here at Whiteman] and we don’t get many pain medicines and narcotics like we did in Afghanistan. While we were deployed our scope of practice was a lot bigger, so the biggest difference was the amount of tasks we were allowed to do medically."

In spite of the sweltering heat, Shamp and his unit were still able to keep each other motivated and developed a sense of closeness and camaraderie.

"The heat in the beginning was the worst part, but when we got back from each mission, everyone became pretty close," Shamp said. "When you spend 15 days in a truck with the same four Airmen, you get to know each other, but the best part was working out with them and hanging out after the missions."

At Camp Leatherneck, Shamp lived in a hardened facility, where he slept in a dorm room with six roommates. Because he spent most of his time on 15 day missions, most of his nights were spent sleeping on cots.

While deployed, Shamp participated in marathons and bench press competitions.

Before getting internet access, he was only able to speak to his wife for 20 minutes on days he wasn’t on missions.

"I couldn’t always make phone calls home," Shamp said. "If I was on-base it was difficult to get on the phone. When we got the internet my wife and I were able to Skype so that made a big difference. She sent packages with photos and getting them definitely helped."

Even though he missed his wife and friends, he enjoyed his deployment.

"What I really liked was getting to see the different side of the U.S. Army," Shamp said. "They have a hard mission and I enjoyed getting to know them."