Captain Ross Boyce

I realized with the posting of Sonny Hinchman that when I posted a name in the subject line, it was for something bad. But instead, I want to highlight a great guy and his efforts here.

Ross Boyce was commissioned as an Infantryman, and he deployed here last with 2-7 CAV of the 1st Cavalry Division, where he saw much more than his fare share of bad things in Iraq. Ross did his time, served his country, and decided to get out and move in a different direction in his life. He enrolled in medical school in North Carolina, and was in his 3d year of med school when he got a set of orders in the mail: He had been recalled to Active Duty to serve with the North Carolina National Guard and deploy.

He could have gotten out of it. Many of these letters go unanswered. Many of the recalled show up to the mobilization centers out of shape and overweight, others with a litany of reasons why they should not have been recalled. But Ross didn't fight it. He likely could have got out of it due to his future as a doctor. He started going to unit drills, and he is currently the assistant S3 (operations guy) for the unit I am attached to. He does everything there, including some great work on the so-called 'nonlethal' side.

Using his medical experience, he branched out to meet with doctors at the local hospital who were frustrated with their lack of capability. Through patience and listening (a constant theme of advising), he was able to understand their problems, which primarily resulted in a lack of communication from the Ministry of Health (MOH), which for a while, expected 'The Americans' to do everything. Not the case anymore. But through listening, CPT Boyce noticed some areas that the Americans could help, and recommended to the staff at the hospital what they could do. The US efforts will now supplement the MOH efforts, all of which will work to get care capability to the people of our area.

The doctors, in turn, talked to the people, and more needs were assessed and determined, and the Coalition is now in a position to help with this too, providing the Iraqis take the initial lead. Future projects include a much needed emergency room expansion, a center for continuing medical education (their medicine is about 30 years behind ours), a local physician professional organization, and providing opportunities for local doctors to obtain more up to date equipment.

This is now the kind of fight we are in, and it is focused on self-sufficiency. Such a change from 2006 and 2007 in this area.

My hat is off to this guy. He has every right to be bitter, but is coming up with innovative solutions to difficult problems, and making a great effort in a place that still needs help.

Thanks for reading.
Ron