Mercenary Mum: My Journey from Young Mother to Baghdad Bodyguard by Neryl Joyce Read Free Book Online

eight hours. On our arrival, I helped to unpack all the dental equipment. Over the period of a day I learnt what a camouflage net was and how the sticks and mushroom heads are used to hold up the net. Most importantly, I learnt that camouflage nets always go up before the tent. It’s never the other way around – unless you want to make things extremely difficult for yourself … which is what happened on my first attempt.
    Little by little, Charlie showed me how to set up a field dental surgery. It didn’t take long before we were ready to start seeing patients. I wasn’t worried about working in the surgery during the bush trip. I had been assigned to a brand-new dentist (one straight out of training) and knew that complicated dental work would not be attempted in the field.
    The two weeks breezed by. I got along with the dentist. We mainly performed annual dental assessments, but also did some fillings and mouthguard impressions. I still had other duties to take care of, such as digging, garbage disposal and water collection. All in all it was very enjoyable. I even got to be on the standby team for emergency response.
    Our dental unit was located with the medical unit. It had an emergency response team, which included stretcher-bearers, set to react to any mass-casualty situations. A mass-casualty situation is where there is an influx of patients who all require immediate medical support at the same time. The stretcher-bearers are used to move patients around the field hospital and to support the medics. I was excited to be placed on the roster, even though it was considered by most to be a chore rather than a privilege.
    The medical unit ran an emergency drill one day, to make sure we were prepared and able to react quickly. As soon as I heard the siren go off, I grabbed my webbing and weapon, and ran over to the triage point. From then on I was drawn in to another world. I sprinted around, moving patients and helping medical staff. I became acutely aware of everything going on around me and looked for ways to help. I was having the time of my life.
    I was sent back to dental and raved on about the experience to Ranch. She thought I was an idiot for getting so excited about it, but I loved being in an emergency situation and having to react accordingly. Later that night, Corporal Hudson came over to congratulate me on my efforts. The medical staff had been impressed and wanted their thanks passed on. I was happy to have their acknowledgment of a job well done. After spending six months as a sucky (excuse the pun) dental assistant, I was starting to think I was a failure at anything related to medicine. It was just the morale boost I needed.
    I’d enjoyed my first bush trip with the dental unit, but not enough to want to stay on as an assistant. With a full-time year behind me, my service to the army would now become part time. I wanted to come back after Christmas for my part-time service – I was keen on the money and seeing my friends again – but the thought of another year of staring into people’s mouths in the surgery made me feel sick. I would be returning in January, after the Christmas break but didn’t know for how long. I loved the army, but I just wasn’t getting to do any of the fun stuff.
    In early January 1994, I returned to Brisbane for my part-time service. Hundreds of reserve soldiers had gone home on leave and were now returning for work, money and a hell of a big reunion. The nightclubs of Brisbane were overflowing with soldiers, all looking for a good time.
    My first week back at the dental unit mainly involved packing and repacking medical stores. The days were long and boring. I could not keep working as a dental assistant – it wasn’t who I was inside. I needed something more than suction machines and dental floss to spike my interest and enthusiasm.
    One day, the military police (MPs) came to our medical facility to give us a presentation on their roles in the field. I was absolutely