Voices From The Front: 'They Think We're Bringing Miracles'

Published: Jan 29, 2006

Lisa Yanity, a 40-year-old high school guidance counselor in Columbia, S.C., got a surprise call 11 months ago. As a captain in the Reserves, she was the one the Army needed in Afghanistan - the only one in her unit called up.

In a recent telephone interview with Tribune editorial writer Jim Beamguard, she explained that her everyday enemy in the remote villages and farms is not terrorists. It's worms.

On her mission:

I am a medical service officer, not a doctor or nurse. What I do over here is deworm children.

People over here have intestinal worms. They don't get all the nutritional value from the little food they have. The children come up and I squirt a set amount [of medicine] into their mouth. I have dewormed over 14,000 Afghan children.

It kind of tastes like Pepto-Bismol. They get diarrhea and they don't like us for that, but it does get the parasites out of their system, and they get the full nutritional value of their food for 30 to 45 days. They also get a 30-day supply of vitamins and candy.

We're fighting an uphill battle. The worms will show up again. But eventually we'll have a country that won't have to worry about worms.

Now, there's nothing you can do to prevent getting the worms. If you eat the local food, you get worms. We deworm soldiers too.

I think I've got the best job over here, with some of the best people you could ever meet.

We are a very small group of doctors, nurses, veterinarians and various other specialties. We go out into areas where the NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] don't go. We provide medical services, some basic education classes, like washing your hands after you use the bathroom.

I've been to places that don't show up on a map. It's been the most rewarding experience I've ever had.

We see lots of headaches, lots of backaches. Life is really rough over here. Stomachaches and heartburn. The more serious problems we can't really treat in the middle of nowhere. Our doctors can alleviate the pain and refer them to the regional hospital that could be miles and miles away.

We don't do any kind of operations. We're just basically tailgate medicine. Their lives are so poor, they're willing to take any kind of help we can offer.

We've never had a bad reception. They think we're bringing miracles in our footlockers and they want some.

On joining the Reserves:

It was an early midlife crisis. My next one will be a convertible.

I was working with students who would ask questions about military. This was one way to find out the answers and also to give back. Next month will make nine years in the Reserves.

My family, my parents, one of my brothers and his family live in Columbia. My baby brother is a Marine stationed in Okinawa with his family. I'm not married. I'm a high school guidance counselor - that's enough children for me.

On helping stressed-out soldiers:

When we are not out on a mission, I volunteer my time at combat stress control. We see a lot of different things. People have different issues, different ways of adapting to being separated from their families. It's no different from the general population.

People over here are losing loved ones back home. They have to grieve over here. We have sexual assaults, unfortunately. And suicide attempts, unfortunately. It's a microcosm of the population, just in a war zone.

Since I'm a counselor in my civilian life, I'm able to volunteer to do that here.

On the danger:

The only people who don't carry weapons are the chaplains. It's always an experience going to church with your weapon on.

I have earned my combat medical badge, which means we were engaged in live fire. When we go out on missions, we are with another unit. I can't ask for better boys than our infantry. I have never felt threatened as long as we've been out with our guys.

I'm kind of small, so when I put on my IBA - my individual body armor - that's almost a quarter of my body weight I'm adding on. You get used to it.

On life on base:

I'm pretty fortunate. We live in plywood buildings that can house four to six folks. You have your little cubbyhole and walls that go halfway up to give you some privacy. They're heated and air-conditioned. We now have cable and Internet in our hooches.

I have a blog site that I run through the state paper back in South Carolina. Folks are keeping an eye on me over here.

The food? Well, as I tell my students, it's like eating in the cafeteria every day for every meal.

On the future of Afghanistan:

I hope down the line things will change. We see schools opening. Women are slowly getting rights. It will just take a long time.

I hope I have made a difference in some small child's life. I've taught lots of high-fives. I've even taught a few kids to yell, "Go, Gamecocks!"

Maybe it's the educator in me coming out, but for me, working with the young people, that's where we're truly going to effect change. Maybe they'll remember those crazy Americans - "They gave me candy and vitamins. Maybe they're not so bad."