The Kandahar Hack
Heroes Remember
The Kandahar Hack
A couple of weeks before the end of the tour
I started having respiratory issues,
very, very bad respiratory issues.
My saturations were going down to 80
which it should be 95 so 80 is really low.
So we did all these tests, we couldn’t figure
out what was going on so they sent me on
medivac out of theatre out into Germany.
I will never forget when I got to Germany
Colin who was the nurse that was meeting
the medivac comes up and says,
“Okay Rhonda I want a report on your patient!”
I said, “Colin I am the patient!”
He goes, “Well I couldn’t figure out why we
didn’t get any notice but it was “Crew” and I
thought it was just air crew, not “Crew!”
Hence, of course, the name that’s entertaining.
So I spent eleven days in Germany as an
outpatient and turned out I had reactive
airway disorder because I jogged every
single day and it was polluted.
It was very, very polluted and I basically
polluted my own lungs to the point where
they couldn’t hold air, at least not very well.
A lot of people came back with what we
called the “Kandahar hack”
You had had this hack right?
But because I ran in it every day and our
barracks were next to the poo pond we just
had a lot of pollution. It took almost a year
for my lungs to come back to proper
functioning and it was almost a catch and
go whether I was going to be released from
the military because of respiratory issues.
It was really close and I remember the
doctor was calling me in to do a final check
and I was ready to cry because I was so
worried I was going to lose my identity,
my career, my everything.
And I remember I was so sad that I didn’t
even put makeup or do my hair that
day which I don’t really do much but
at least I wash my face and brush.
Anyways I showed up for work and I was so
depressed ready to go in and get fired and
I walkedi n and wasn’t he messing with me.
They had promotion my rank for me and said,
“You’re staying in and you’re getting
promoted and you are taking over
the medivac flight, it’s yours!”
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