AFGHANISTAN. Eastern Afghanistan. 2007. This Afghan soldier was badly injured by an IED. He awoke during the medevac flight, disoriented and
terrified. He pitched his head back and shrieked, “Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah,” pausing only to catch his
breath. When Julio tried to push pain medication through the IV, the Afghan bit him in the arm and then
leapt up and tried to wrench the helicopter door open at five thousand feet. The flight crew and I jumped on
him. He writhed wildly as we each grabbed a limb and forced him back down to the bed of the helicopter.
Julio put a knee on his chest and jabbed a sedative into him. He quieted. Julio didn’t expect the man to
survive the operating table.