Friday, July 25, 2008

B*N*S*N3

Click photo for screen-resolution image

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Margaret Swanberg, of Montgomery Village,
Md., checks the pupils of Army Spc. Michael Woywood,
of San Antonio, for dilation during a military acute concussion
evaluation demonstration at Forward Operating Base Hammer,
Iraq, July 18, 2008.
U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Michael Schuch,
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division


Lt. Col. (Dr.) Margaret Swanberg is the only Army neurologist deployed to Iraq. Roadside-bomb explosions have been a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries that can vary from compression and bruising of the brain to damage to the nerves that send signals from the brain to the rest of the body.

“The fact that [the 1st Armored Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team] ended up with a neurologist was really just a matter of luck,” Swanberg said, “but it has given me the chance to evaluate soldiers in person and give the other medics and doctors guidance and training.”

Swanberg serves as the officer in charge of the Sgt. Robertson Aid Station here. Her dedication to the job benefits soldiers throughout Iraq, as she trains medics throughout the country on military acute concussion evaluation, or MACE.

For six years before her deployment, Swanberg worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington, D.C., as a behavioral neurologist with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The decision to deploy her came when Walter Reed leaders received a request for a doctor and reviewed their list of soldiers on deployable status. The professional filler system, which holds the names of all primary care military doctors, chose to send Swanberg because of her experience in a field that would help soldiers in Iraq.
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Another incredible woman. Go read the rest here.

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