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Local doctor deploys to Iraq |
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Lesser is shown here en route to his assignment at Troop Medical Clinic at Forward Operating Base Adder in Tallil, Iraq.
Photo courtesy of majormarty.blogspot.com.
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Jan. 10, 2011
By Mike Briotta
PRIME Editor
GREATER SPRINGFIELD — Ever since terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, the majority of Americans have relied upon our armed forces to serve the nation in the "War on Terror."
But this past fall, Longmeadow resident Martin Lesser decided to make a more personal contribution. He gave up the comforts of civilian life and left his Holyoke medical practice to deploy as a field surgeon with the U.S. military in Iraq.
The 59-year-old doctor and National Guard member was called up in mid-October for 120 days of active duty. He was assigned to the Troop Medical Clinic at Forward Operating Base Adder in Tallil, Iraq.
"Yes, there was an adjustment but I've been in the National Guard almost two years before I deployed," Lesser told Reminder Publications through e-mail communications from Iraq.
"I also attended four weeks of Officer Basic Leadership Course and five days of Tactical Combat Medical Care Course both taught at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas."
He continued, "Additionally, we were given about ten days of preparation at Fort Benning, Ga., and in Kuwait before being sent to Iraq. The biggest adjustment was being away from my family and signing my private practice over to other community physicians who I had recruited to see my patients at my office."
Lesser is serving with the 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary).
Part of his training before being sent to Iraq included dealing with the worst injuries of war, which, luckily, he has not had to treat in Iraq up until this point.
Lesser learned to treat combat injuries at Fort Sam Houston during a course that teaches technical combat medical care. The training included stabilizing traumatic wounds and loss of limbs.
"The training during the Tactical Combat Medical Care Course prepared us for the worst types of casualties," he said, "including 'mass casualties' which I fortunately haven't seen at this point of my deployment."
Lesser was trained in using an M-16 rifle, however, and always has his M-9 Beretta pistol with him, even when treating patients in Iraq. His base is also under constant threat of mortar attack.
"All military personnel, with the exception of the Chaplain, must have their weapon with them at all times when in a combat zone," Lesser said. "Medical personnel are authorized under the Geneva Convention to carry weapons to protect themselves and their patients. Fortunately, I haven't had to use it."
He added, "The real danger and stress is a rocket or mortar attack on the base, which could come at any moment and cause casualties. The military has done a great job surrounding our structures with blast walls, installing bomb shelters and aggressively patrolling to reduce these attacks but there is still danger and this is our major stress."
As a family practitioner in private practice at the same Main Street location in Holyoke since 1992, Lesser always tried to make his private practice "user friendly" to the military and their families by working with Tricare (military health insurance).
In recent years, Lesser decided he could no longer stand on the sidelines during American war efforts abroad. He wanted to do his part after being an observer to the nation's "War on Terror."
It was 2008 when Lesser attended an event in Long Island to mark the 20th anniversary of his graduation from medical school. At an osteopathic medical conference the next day he met Joe Guerriero, who was recruiting for the National Guard.
After talking things over with his wife Joan, Lesser decided to join the Massachusetts National Guard. The application process was "a beast" he said, particularly since it involved wage deferments and pension waivers.
He explained why he decided to join the Army and work as a physician in Iraq.
"I was told that there was a serious shortage of physicians in the military," said Lesser. "This was just an unbearable thought being told that there was a shortage, so I responded, 'Well, if I were younger, then maybe I could help you.' And they responded, 'Don' t worry about that, we have age exemptions.' So a recruiter decided to look me in the eye and say, 'We desperately need you.'"
Part of his preparation included basic training, which whipped him into shape, bringing the doctor to his top physical form.
"I came out of it in the best shape I've ever been," he said. "I knew that we couldn't hire a private trainer that could duplicate something like that. I went from being sedentary to being able to run four-and-a-half miles at the end of four weeks. I was very proud of that."
Lesser said that his age didn't limit him from joining the National Guard. "I was told that age was not a consideration," he said. "I was also told there was a limit to how long they send doctors out. So I didn't think it could get any easier than that. I almost couldn't imagine saying no."
He also described how his colleagues are managing his workload in his absence.
"My practice is busier than ever and I can't thank my office staff enough for the amount of work this is putting them through," he said. "I will also never forget the physicians and nurse practitioner that have stepped forward and will be coming to my office to see my patients as well as the administrators from other practices that have helped me recruit my coverage."
He continued, "They are seeing my patients in my office and they are using my charts. There are four different providers. One physician is working four shifts. Then I have one working two shifts, which is an entire day, and two working an afternoon. It's a limited time; they know when I'm supposed to come back, so there's an end in sight."
Lesser created a blog to keep in touch with family, friends and patients, which can be accessed at: majormarty.blogspot.com . The blog has information and pictures on not only the Iraq deployment but also his preparation for it.
"My family, friends, office staff, colleagues and patients were concerned but were all enormously supportive because this was for our soldiers," he said. "In the end, although there is a shortage of primary care physicians in the community that I practice in I had more offers to cover my practice than I could even use."
He added, "The elderly patients, many of whom had memories of World War II were among the biggest supporters of my deployment. One female patient in her mid-80's put it the best when she said to me 'Thank heavens I'm finally being asked to make a sacrifice to help our soldiers, you've taken care of me since 9/11 please go take care of our soldiers now, I'll be fine.' I would like to tell her as well as all my patients, my family and everyone who has wished me well that the mission is going well and I hope to be returning as soon as it's completed."
Despite living arrangements that he sometimes describes as "claustrophobic" and the ongoing threat of an attack on his base, Lesser said the experience has been very rewarding.
He concluded via his blog, in response to anyone who would question his decisions:
"I think that if your looking for an answer to your question of why I decided to leave my family and everything else behind and go to a place like Iraq, start to think of how deeply you have been impacted by the thousands of casualties we have suffered since 9/11. If you can recognize your own connection to these events and its impact on you I'm sure that you will have a good understanding of my decision."
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