FORT CARSON, Colorado -- Twenty surgical team members returned to Fort Carson Dec. 8, 2017, following a nine-month deployment to Helmand and Kandahar provinces, Afghanistan.
The 2nd Forward Surgical Team, 627th Hospital Center, Soldiers were welcomed by their command team, Family and friends during a ceremony at The Hub.
"It's an honor to welcome the 2nd FST (Soldiers home) from their Afghanistan deployment," said Col. Mark A. Stevens, 627th HC commander. "It's great to see them, and we're proud of what they accomplished while they provided damage-control surgery in support of combat operations (as part of operations Resolute Support and Freedom's Sentinel)."
Stevens explained that two teams of surgeons, anesthetists and nurses split into separate areas of Afghanistan while supporting myriad U.S. and multinational units in hundreds of operations. Units supported included the 101st Airborne Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 6th Marine Regiment and a special operations joint task force as well as Afghan army, police and commando forces.
"You provided exceptional surgical support for over 40 complex trauma cases while conducting operations at two austere outposts," Stevens said. "You have performed flawlessly and preserved life during four mass-casualty events, handling that task with precision while also improving the readiness of U.S. and Afghan forces."
Though their mission was to provide surgical coverage to U.S. and coalition forces, they also saved Afghanistan lives by being ready and available as a secondary surgical team for the Afghanistan medical system for vascular and traumatic brain injuries and mass casualty events at Afghanistan treatment facilities.
"It was an exciting deployment," said Maj. Elizabeth Tricozzi, 2nd FST commander. "You become very close as a team. Everyone is doing three to four jobs because our team is so small, but it's a great opportunity to be right up there with the (combat) Soldiers, Marines and Airmen. They knew we were there and that gave them the confidence to go out and do the best mission they could and take those risks they needed to take in order to win the fight."
Capt. William Townsend, a 2nd FST anesthetist, said "austere" was a great description of the facilities the teams operated under while deployed.
"We were in a building, but it wasn't a hardened building," he said. "Our operating room, for example, was just large enough to fit a patient, three people and our equipment, and that's about it."
Townsend was welcomed home by his wife, Meagan, and 13-month old son, Benjamin.
"There are a lot of different emotions; I'm happy, sad and excited at the same time," he said "My son is walking now, and I think he recognized me, but it's hard to tell. Luckily, we were able to get some FaceTime in while I was away."
Stevens said that while executing split operations, the 2nd FST endured staffing and support shortages, yet achieved stellar results in trauma care, resulting in a 95 percent survival rate. The unit was also recognized by deployed leadership for its quality of care.
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