Care Under Fire
Hosted by an Australian Army Veteran, Care Under Fire Podcast tells the stories of inspiring individuals who have provided good medicine in bad places. In this series, Em speaks with health professionals who have served in war, humanitarian, disaster relief and austere environments both domestically and abroad. By telling the stories of these individuals the series hopes to begin to document the evolution of modern medicine, inspire clinicians to push their practice to the next level and increase the general public’s knowledge of what it is we do. [email protected]
Richard Sherman US Navy Gulf War Veteran discussing Never Home Heroes
Today on Care Under Fire I chat with Rich Sherman, Rich is a former US Navy Intelligence Officer, Gulf War Veteran and is the author and photographer of “Never Home – remembering the military heroes who never returned”. This episode has a slightly different angle as instead of focusing on his own personal story, Rich shares snippets from the biographies of service personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice in WWI and WWII. We discuss gratitude, being part of something bigger than yourself and how you can commemorate and thank someone who you can never meet in person. To find out more about Rich’s work visit: neverhomeheros.com
Sister Cheryl O’Brien RAAF Vietnam Veteran
On today’s episode of Care Under Fire, I catch up with Sister Cheryl O’Brien. Cheryl served as a RAAF registered nurse and midwife during the Vietnam war. Based out of Malaysia, Cheryl nursed servicemen and their families on Penang Island and worked in the Butterworth Military Hospital. She also flew medivac missions out of Vung Tau, Vietnam to Butterworth and to Australia. Cheryl reflects on the diversity of her military nursing career from delivering babies to treating snake bites to evacuating ventilated casualties from Vietnam as well as the incredible advances in nursing care seen over her 47 years of nursing.
Published on: August 30, 2024
Tom, Veteran & Former Military Psychologist
Today on Care Under Fire I chat with Tom, former military psychologist and intelligence officer who served in the Australian Army for 22 years. Tom specialised in critical incident mental health support and deployed to East Timor and Afghanistan six times from 2009-2012. His story, marked with personal tragedy demonstrates that no one is immune to post-traumatic stress and highlights the importance of recognising when to seek help.
Published on: August 30, 2024
Bahaa Alasady, Iraqi Interpreter & The War Against ISIS
Today on Care Under Fire I catch up with Bahaa Alasady. Bahaa was born in Iraq and worked as a coalition interpreter during the ISIS uprising. His story highlights the vital role of the interpreter in medical, training and partner force missions and the violent realities of living in Baghdad. Bahaa has since migrated to Australia and is studying nursing.
Published on: March 22, 2024Roneel Chandra Nurse Practitioner
Today on Care Under Fire I catch up with Roneel Chandra, Chands has had an extensive military nursing career spanning 22 years and has served with the Army, Special Operations and the Navy. He shares some wisdom for new ADF nurses as he recounts his experiences including being in a Blackhawk crash landing on an AME mission in Afghanistan, to providing humanitarian aid in Fiji and the Mallacoota bushfire rescue.
Published on: March 19, 2024Jack Dear Paramedic and Frontline Medics Ukraine
Today I chat with Jack Dear, current ACT paramedic who recently deployed with the NGO, Frontline Medics to assist with the evacuation and treatment of civilian casualties in Ukraine. Jack discusses his early career as an Army Bushmaster crew commander and how his deployment to Afghanistan left him feeling underprepared in managing trauma casualties. Jack later sought further education in South Africa as a remote area medical technician and returned to Afghanistan as a contract security officer at the Australian Embassy in Kabul before committing to paramedicine.
Published on: November 27, 2023Howard Roby, CSM, RAAF retrieval Veteran, Anaesthetist, and Intensivist
Today I chat with Doctor Howard Roby, CSM. Howard is a specialist in Anaesthesia and Intensive care and after gaining aeromedical retrieval skill in Australia joined the RAAF reserve as part of the Military Critical Care Air Transport Service (MCAT). Howard recounts some of the critically ill patients he retrieved over the subsequent 15 years he worked on call for MCAT, from military traumatic injuries out of the Middle East to civilian casualties from the White Island Volcano eruption in NZ. We also discuss the innovation in clinical equipment and training that has led to better patient outcomes in war and austere environments.
Published on: November 12, 2023Jody Tieche Veteran Voodoo Medic
Today I catch up with Jody Tieche, former special forces medic, Timor and Afghanistan veteran and now remote area paramedic. Jody recounts his experiences in the early part of the Australian Afghanistan campaign that saw a change in tactics due to the rise of improvised explosive devices and his experience under fire treating Chad Elliot who was shot in the femur by a 7.62mm round. Jody humbly discusses what the core role of the SF medic is; providing unconventional medicine during unconventional warfare to embody the SF medic slogan ‘we do the voodoo so you can do you’.
Published on: November 3, 2023Mark Mathieson, Veteran & former Army Psychologist
Today I chat with Mark Mathieson, former military psychologist and veteran of East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. Mark shares some fascinating insights as we discuss the role of an Army Special Forces psychologist, to some of the moral challenges of organisation psychology in the military to life post the military and his work as a production psychologist for reality TV.Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: October 25, 2023Ben Flynn Army Reserve Medic and Police Officer
On today’s episode of Care Under Fire I chat all things reserve medic with Ben Flynn. We discuss how through a few short courses the Army transforms someone with no medical background into a medic who can provide advanced first aid and trauma care in remote environments. Ben recalls his experiences deployed in the Solomon Islands and picking up asylum seekers whilst on boarder protection operations with the Australian Navy. We chat about some of the limitations to mental health first aid and trauma care scope of practice in both the military and police force and the moral injury that can result in mental health battles. Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: October 10, 2023Andy Brayshaw, Combat Medic on Falklands, Iraq, Croatia & Bosnia
Today I chat with Andy Brayshaw, former combat medic with 43 years’ experience in both the British and Australian Army serving in the Falklands war, Iraq, Croatia and Bosnia. Andy recounts being wounded and treating combat casualties when his troop land ship, the Sir Galahad was hit by an Argentine air strike in the Falklands through to the CBRN threat in the First Gulf War to his work with the UN, we also chat about the evolution of medic practice across his four decades of service.Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: September 29, 2023Jess “Doc” Rychlewski, Vietnam veteran & medic
In today’s episode of Care Under Fire it’s a real privilege to chat with Jess Rychlewski, former Army medic and Vietnam Veteran. Jess recounts his experiences as a patrol medic during a 13 month deployment with Charlie Company 2RAR in Vietnam in 1970. Post Vietnam, Jess continued to serve for 20 years full time and 10 years after that as a reserve medic.
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Published on: September 24, 2023David Leaf, rural generalist & Timor helicopter crash survivor
Today I chat which David Leaf, rural generalist, and RAAF Timor veteran. David survived a 2004 helicopter crash in a mountainous region of East Timor, where his team was on-route to retrieve a pregnant woman in obstructed labour. We chat about the role rural generalists play in military medicine, PTSD and David’s work in the veteran health space, particularly improving training for GPs in veteran and first responder health care.
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Published on: September 24, 2023Prue Wheelwright Nurse & Midwife on humanitarian aid in Ethiopia and Tajikistan
Today on Care Under Fire I chat with Prue Wheelwright. Bought up on a rural property in NSW, Prue is a registered nurse and midwife with experience in regional and remote Australia; and internationally in Saudi Arabia and with Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) in Tajikistan and Ethiopia. Prue now works as a flight nurse with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, based out of Alice Springs and is the author of “The Flying Nurse: Saving lives and swaddling babies from outback Australia to Africa and beyond”. We chat about the realities of humanitarian aid work and the benefits of getting out of your comfort zone and out of the hospital. Lifeline 13 11 14, Sands 1300 308 307, https://www.sands.org.au/.
Published on: September 16, 2023Brad Watts DSM, former Special Forces Medic
Today on Care Under Fire I chat with Brad Watts, DSM who outlines his experiences as a Special Forces Medic in Afghanistan in 2006. Brad outlines his experience as an AME medic from managing obstetric emergencies to retrieving a Danish soldier with a GSW to the head whilst under fire, actions that would later see him awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Brad has also had operational experience in East Timor and in boarder protection and credits the Army with helping him develop resilience that would later assist him in corporate roles, mountaineering and supporting his daughter through brain cancer.Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: August 28, 2023Dianne Hutchinson ICU Nurse, Veteran and Firefighter on Resilience.
Today on Care Under Fire I catch up with Dianne Hutchinson. Di has had a long career as an Intensive Care Nurse and has worked in a range of austere environments including; Afghanistan, Iraq and immigration detention on Christmas Island. Di has also made an extensive contribution as a volunteer firefighter, with Camp Quality and Operation Open Heart. Through a lens of compassion, Di speaks about her involvement supporting the ADF Arts for Recovery, Resilience, Teamwork and Skills (ARRTS) program and her work providing nursing care in challenging environments with both Defence and as a contractor.Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: August 23, 2023Terry Ledgard SAS Medic & Mountaineer
On today’s episode of Care Under Fire I chat with Terry Ledgard as he recalls his experiences as an SAS medic in Afghanistan; from treating trauma casualties, through to humanitarian assistance missions, saving his swag in a firefight and overcoming PTSD. He is now a mountaineer completing five of the seven summits, working in under in water medicine and offshore oil and gas and is the author of “Bad Medicine – A no-holds-barred account of life as an Australian SAS medic during the war in Afghanistan”. Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: August 13, 2023Bernadette Serong Army Medic, Veteran and General Service Officer
On todays Care Under Fire, I catch up with Bernadette Serong, Bernie has had an extensive career as an Army Medic and now General Service Officer with operational experience in Afghanistan, Fiji, Iraq and domestically as a health commander during covid and bushfire assistance missions. We chat about Bernie’s time as an AME medic, women in Defence through to her mental health battles and treating her close mate SGT McQuilty Quirke NSC, after he was ejected from a bushmaster that was hit by an IED. As Bernie is still serving, this episode has been approved for release by Defence Media. It represents the views of the individuals and not Defence.Lifeline 13 11 14, Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: August 10, 2023Simon Watson, from the Navy Band to Army Nursing and now Medicine
Today on Care Under Fire I catch up with Simon Watson, former Navy band tuba and bass guitar player, Army nurse and now emergency department Doctor. Watto recounts some of his experiences from 24 years in the military including playing on Anzac Day at Gallipoli through to service with Special Operations Command, providing humanitarian assistance in Padang and the Solomon Islands and his AME role in Afghanistan. We chat about humble beginnings and working with the resources you’ve got to save lives.Open Arms 1800 011 046, Lifeline 13 11 14
Published on: July 13, 2023Michael Slats Slattery the Kilo Golf on AME & Trauma Care
Episode #6 On today’s episode of Care Under Fire I chat with Michael Slattery. Slats has had an extensive career spanning 26 years in the Australian Army as a beret qualified special operations medic, seeing operational service in PNG, Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. Post the military, Slats has worked as an offshore intensive care paramedic, an emergency nurse, and is the training director for SOTER International. We chat about commando selection, aeromedical evac under fire and dealing with trauma. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046
Published on: June 27, 2023Sam Miletta, Operational Firefighter on Complex Scene Response
On today’s episode of Care Under Fire I chat with Sam Miletta, a former Victorian Police Officer, current Operational Firefighter, and instructor with TACMED Australia. As we discuss lessons learnt from global terrorism and multi-casualty incidents, Sam shares his insights into the importance of integration between emergency services to enhance responder safety and improve patient outcomes. We also chat about Sam’s recent publications; Fire as a Weapon and CrashMARCHE (a duel stream pneumonic for safety, rescue and medical response to MVA’s).
Published on: June 17, 2023Cristy Rowe Afghanistan Veteran, former Nurse, now Doctor
On today’s episode of Care Under Fire, I chat with Cristy Rowe, former Australian Army Nurse and now Anaesthetic Registrar. Cristy recounts her experiences in Afghanistan, including the initial trauma resuscitation of Curtis McGrath an Australian Sapper who became a bilateral amputee after an IED blast and the tragic loss of life experienced in Uruzgan in 2012.
In memory of injured Aussie soldiers and those Australians who lost their lives in Afghanistan in 2012;
Blaine Diddams MG
Nathanael Galagher
Mervyn McDonald
Stjepan Milosevic
Robert Poate
James Martin
Scott Smith
Lest we forget
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Published on: June 10, 2023Care Under Fire Intro
Short intro into what we are all about
Published on: June 5, 2023Matt Pepper Special Operations Paramedic & the Lindt Cafe Siege
On today’s episode of Care Under Fire I chat with Matt Pepper, a former Australian Army Officer and NSW Ambulance Intensive Care/Special Operations Paramedic. Matt was instrumental in establishing the Tactical Medical Operations capability in NSW Ambulance, was on the ground as a first responder to the Lindt Café Siege and currently works as the national training manager for TACMED Australia. Matt shares how advances in tactical medicine learnt on the battlefield have filtered into clinical practice in Australia as we discuss our clinical liabilities and challenges. Support is available through Lifeline 13 11 14 or Open Arms (veterans and families counselling) 1800 011 046.
Published on: June 5, 2023Tash Ford Veteran and Intensive Care Paramedic
In this episode of Care Under Fire I chat with Tash Ford, a Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Paramedic and Australian Army veteran. Tash’s incredible career has included tours of East Timor with the Australian Military Hospital Dilli and Afghanistan with the Special Operations Task Group. We chat about holistic care and the effect of burnout on frontline clinicians as she recalls the loss of her friend Bret Till who was killed in action in Afghanistan and the care she provided on road as a paramedic and with the RFDS.
Support is available through Lifeline 13 11 14 or Open Arms (veterans and families counselling) 1800 011 046.
Published on: June 5, 2023Carla and Amy Midwifery in Vanuatu
In this episode I chat with Carla and Amy, Australian registered nurses and midwives who nine years ago decided to step out of their comfort zone and volunteer as midwives in a developing country. They have since made multiple trips to Vanuatu where they have overcome language barriers, learnt to work with limited resources in a different culture and marvelled at the strength and endurance of birthing women.
To get in touch with Carla and Amy please email [email protected] and I will forward your message.
If this episode raises concerns for you in regard to miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death there is support available, contact sands on 1300 308 307, https://www.sands.org.au/.