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> Features > Pg 2 Feature Stories > Letters from Iraq: Pagnoni writes home
Letters from Iraq: Pagnoni writes home
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Joseph Pagnoni
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Editor's Note: Capt. Joseph Pagnoni, of East Longmeadow, is currently serving in Iraq as a nurse with with the United States Army. Pagnoni is sharing his experience with Reminder Publications through correspondence. Read his reponses below.
Reminder Publications: Could you give us an idea of an average day?
Pagnoni: I live in a remote area in the western part of the country. The base is established in a dried out portion of the Euphrates River from some event that happened many, many years ago. It is about a mile wide and we are about 55 feet below flat ground! We live in a CHU, contained housing unit, that is 8' x 20'. I have a roommate, we have a few amenities like a TV, DVD and a coffee pot as well as an Internet connection that is slower than dial up. We do not have running water in our CHU's, we must walk an average of 200 feet to the restroom CHU. This might not seem like a lot but consider you have to be in full uniform to go here and at night it gets down to 40 degrees from 80's at day time, it can be cold. One CHU is the toilet, the other is a shower, it is shared amongst about 250 soldiers. We are allowed three minutes a day to shower, which means get wet, turn off water and lather up, get wet again your done. It's referred to as Navy showers as all water has to be trucked in from other areas. We cannot drink this water, we only drink from bottles that are shipped in from a plant in Germany. We are authorized only two uniforms our PT's or our battle dress and must carry a weapon with us at all times. We are only allowed to wear the PT's in the housing area or when we go to perform PT (physical training). We must be in battle uniform for all meals and eat with our weapons across our chest we are forbidden to place them on the ground next to us! The Dining Facility or DFAC is open four times a day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight chow. The food is similar to any college campus and we can have as much as we want. We are provided several choices just like any other buffet style place you go. The choice is essentially up to you to find something that will do. We have a PX, which is a store where we can buy some items we may need to make life a little better or gifts to send home. There is a Burger King, Pizza Hut and Subway but they are not anywhere as good as the food from home and they often run out of the basics, as an example you can order a pizza but it might not have sauce or cheese on it! There is a Green Beans coffee here which is like a Dunkin Donuts. This particular base also has a stadium for track and field events and used to have a grass soccer field but due to no up keep it is all gone. It is the site where the former Iraqi soccer team was executed for losing in the world cup by one of Saddam's sons. He apparently had them swim in the pool that's here, and since has been filled in, that had acid poured into it then he took them to the gallows he had set up and killed and left them.
Reminder Publications: What is the job/life you left behind?
Pagnoni: I leave behind my wife and two girls, my parents, brother and two sisters, nieces, nephews, mother-in-law and brothers-in-law, friends and my job with the Connecticut Department of Corrections.
Reminder Publications: How long is your deployment?
Pagnoni: I am a reservist, I spent two years on active duty, then 10 years with the 104th infantry of the Mass. National Guard in Westfield before I got my commission as an officer. I am assigned to the 405th Combat Support Hospital in West Hartford, Conn., but have been cross leveled to the 325th Combat Support Hospital from Independence, MO.
Reminder Publications: What medial challenges are there in having such a high amputee rate?
Pagnoni: The health care for wounded US troops is state of the art. They are all treated with the world's best health care, most if wounded enough go from theater to Germany then the States where they will receive advanced care at places like the center for the intrepid at Ft. Sam Houston or Walter Reed. They make amazing recoveries and will do very well, we hear from some on occasion and are all progressing. The Iraqi's however don't do as well as they don't have all the resources as the US.
Reminder Publications: How is Iraq and your experience there different than what you expected
it would be?
Pagnoni: I grew up watching MASH and that was my reference point! I have seen the horrors of war! What I expected and reality are pretty close. I knew living conditions wouldn't be as bad as MASH, I had seen a picture from the group before me. I had anticipated taking care of only wounded US troops, and thankfully I haven't had all that many. I didn't expect to be caring for insurgents and Iraqi's. I am proud of the work that I have done and the lives I have helped save! I speak as much Iraqi as Hawkeye Peirce does Korean and I would say I didn't expect to have to learn the language in the hospital.
Reminder Publications: How is the spirit of the troops?
Pagnoni: Morale of the soldiers I come in contact with is really high. Even today there is still a lot of support from all across the US for these men. We get boxes of cards, letters, candy, goodies, blankets, quilts, hygiene items form citizens looking to show there support. I work in my spare time assisting the group of people who share all these items with the soldiers and they all express their thanks to the folks at home! My favorite's are the letters from the kids, they ask the best questions and want to know so much. We all try and write back when they give us a return address. It's a difficult time of year to be away from home but morale is high! We also rely on each other heavily for support and we have many support avenues if we need them for assistance. We are all one big family and we look out for each other!
Reminder Publications: What is one thing you think people back home should be aware of?
Pagnoni: We appreciate the support regardless of how you feel about the war!
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