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| Injured soldier back to normal (an inspirational story) | ||
| 2005-12-19 | ||
She also struggled to come down from the adrenaline high that kept her going in Iraq, and had nightmares of the day insurgents ambushed her convoy. âRight now, Iâm pretty much back to normal. But the first six months were tough,â says Montgomery, 44, of Lansdale, Pa. An Army reservist for 22 years, Montgomery was sent to Iraq in April 2003 as part of a civil affairs unit. She oversaw more than 20 reconstruction and medical resupply projects, created a program at the University of Hillah to translate Western classics into Arabic, and won the prestigious General Douglas McArthur Award for her leadership. She also survived three firefights. One nearly killed her. Insurgents peppered Montgomeryâs convoy with automatic rifle fire on April 11, 2004, killing a Romanian security guard in her SUV. Montgomery, the rear gunner, was shot in the leg, and shrapnel severed the brachial artery in her arm. She managed to kill two insurgents, according to the military. âAfter a while the training just becomes automatic, and when youâre in the firefight, your brain doesnât even think, your body automatically does what itâs supposed to do,â Montgomery says. Twenty months later, she is recovered from her wounds and back at her job as a biologist at Merck & Co. She could retire from the military. But she says she likes it too much. âThere is good being done, a lot of good being done. We want to see it finished. We want to see the Iraqi government (and the Iraqi military) be able to take over their country before we come home. Otherwise, all weâve done is for naught.â
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Outstanding.Attenttion...Hand Salute...At Ease. |
| Posted by: raptor 2005-12-19 09:31 |
| #1 Capt. Tamara Montgomery An inspirational story and soldier. Indeed you are Captian |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-12-19 06:09 |