When Army Captain Michelle Haistings arrived home in Mount Shasta last week for a visit from Afghanistan, she said the things she missed most were having her own bathroom and fresh, cold milk.
The snow was also a welcome change from the hot weather she’s grown accustomed to the past seven months while being stationed at the Kandahar air base in Afghanistan.
Haistings works as an RN at a primary care clinic for US soldiers and at a nearby hospital, where she helps treat traumatic injuries.
This is her first deployment to a war zone, and Haistings said she has it better than many of her fellow soldiers. She shares a 15 by 15 foot room with five bunkmates, and her bathroom is shared with 41 other women.
“Some soldiers are sleeping in tents or in trucks, so I’m one of the lucky ones,” she said.“Where I’m at, I don’t feel like I’m in danger,” Haistings said. “When you first arrive, there’s fear of the unknown. But once you figure everything out, things become routine.”
Aside from infrequent rocket attacks, Haistings said she hasn’t had to deal with any immediately dangerous situations. Many of her patients haven’t been so lucky.
Her first patient at the hospital right after she arrived was a 10 month old girl who had been injured in a land mine blast.
Though Haistings said she never learned the little girl’s name, that first experience made a lasting impression.
Haistings entered the Army ROTC program after graduating from Mount Shasta High School in 2001. She attended the University of Portland, Oregon, and was commissioned to the Army in May, 2005.
She spent three years in Landstuhl, Germany, working at a regional medical center treating soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Seven months ago, Haistings was deployed to Afghanistan herself. She has approximately five months left to complete her tour.
While she was home, Haistings spoke at the Mt. Shasta Elks Lodge about her experiences and thanked the organization for care packages they sent at the beginning of her deployment.
The packages were well received, especially since all of her unit’s belongings were stolen somewhere between North Carolina and Afghanistan.
“All of our personal belongings and military equipment was gone... it was about two million dollars worth. That was hard. It really defeated morale right in the beginning,” she said.
Though Haistings hasn’t made up her mind whether or not she’ll continue in the Army after her initial obligation is complete, she said she has enjoyed the experience.
“The Army trained me and gave me a great foundation of knowledge. I’ve gained experience and skill working in five or six areas of nursing, and I haven’t even been an RN for five years yet.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my Army career... they paid for my college and I’m doing what I love – traveling and taking care of soliders. I feel the Army helps you grow as a person. Being in combat definitely gives you a different perspective on life.”
Haistings said she always wanted to be a nurse, but she didn’t consider going into the Army until her older brother, Matt, did so.
Matt, a 1999 MSHS graduate, is in the midst of a one year tour in Iraq, where he serves as a company commander and transportation officer.
Michelle said she rarely gets homesick. Pictures of her family and a Mt. Shasta calendar help to remind her of home.
She lives with all the basic amenities, including hot showers, hot meals three times a day, her personal laptop computer and a slow but functional DSL internet connection in her bunk.
Though she hasn’t had the opportunity to experience everyday life in Afghanistan outside the confines of the military base and only knows one Pashto word – “shabas,” which means good – she said she’ll never again take American culture for granted.
“It’s just so different over there,” she said.
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When Army Captain Michelle Haistings arrived home in Mount Shasta last week for a visit from Afghanistan, she said the things she missed most were having her own bathroom and fresh, cold milk.
The snow was also a welcome change from the hot weather she’s grown accustomed to the past seven months while being stationed at the Kandahar air base in Afghanistan.
Haistings works as an RN at a primary care clinic for US soldiers and at a nearby hospital, where she helps treat traumatic injuries.
This is her first deployment to a war zone, and Haistings said she has it better than many of her fellow soldiers. She shares a 15 by 15 foot room with five bunkmates, and her bathroom is shared with 41 other women.
“Some soldiers are sleeping in tents or in trucks, so I’m one of the lucky ones,” she said.“Where I’m at, I don’t feel like I’m in danger,” Haistings said. “When you first arrive, there’s fear of the unknown. But once you figure everything out, things become routine.”
Aside from infrequent rocket attacks, Haistings said she hasn’t had to deal with any immediately dangerous situations. Many of her patients haven’t been so lucky.
Her first patient at the hospital right after she arrived was a 10 month old girl who had been injured in a land mine blast.
Though Haistings said she never learned the little girl’s name, that first experience made a lasting impression.
Haistings entered the Army ROTC program after graduating from Mount Shasta High School in 2001. She attended the University of Portland, Oregon, and was commissioned to the Army in May, 2005.
She spent three years in Landstuhl, Germany, working at a regional medical center treating soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Seven months ago, Haistings was deployed to Afghanistan herself. She has approximately five months left to complete her tour.
While she was home, Haistings spoke at the Mt. Shasta Elks Lodge about her experiences and thanked the organization for care packages they sent at the beginning of her deployment.
The packages were well received, especially since all of her unit’s belongings were stolen somewhere between North Carolina and Afghanistan.
“All of our personal belongings and military equipment was gone... it was about two million dollars worth. That was hard. It really defeated morale right in the beginning,” she said.
Though Haistings hasn’t made up her mind whether or not she’ll continue in the Army after her initial obligation is complete, she said she has enjoyed the experience.
“The Army trained me and gave me a great foundation of knowledge. I’ve gained experience and skill working in five or six areas of nursing, and I haven’t even been an RN for five years yet.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my Army career... they paid for my college and I’m doing what I love – traveling and taking care of soliders. I feel the Army helps you grow as a person. Being in combat definitely gives you a different perspective on life.”
Haistings said she always wanted to be a nurse, but she didn’t consider going into the Army until her older brother, Matt, did so.
Matt, a 1999 MSHS graduate, is in the midst of a one year tour in Iraq, where he serves as a company commander and transportation officer.
Michelle said she rarely gets homesick. Pictures of her family and a Mt. Shasta calendar help to remind her of home.
She lives with all the basic amenities, including hot showers, hot meals three times a day, her personal laptop computer and a slow but functional DSL internet connection in her bunk.
Though she hasn’t had the opportunity to experience everyday life in Afghanistan outside the confines of the military base and only knows one Pashto word – “shabas,” which means good – she said she’ll never again take American culture for granted.
“It’s just so different over there,” she said.
