Barnes Blog
She received care from an Iraqi doctor and spent seven months in the hospital. The military doctors saved her life. But her legs healed improperly and she is badly scarred.
After meeting Amal, Steffey brought the brigade surgeon to see her. The surgeon concluded that her wounds may have become infected. He recommended that she see a specialist in Mosul.
On the way home from their Sunday afternoon patrol Steffey, Snoddy, and the rest of the platoon stop at Amal's home to check to see when she is going to visit the specialist. It turns out treatment from the specialist will cost $500, more than the family has.
Amal's father says his daughter does not want to go back to the hospital but asks if an American doctor can see her. Snoddy shakes his head. He tells his translator that the Americans can help only when the Americans break something or cause collateral damage. When Iraqis are hurt by other Iraqis, the best the American soldiers can do is try to find people Iraqi help. Sitting cradled in her mother's arms behind her father, Amal is crying. She says something in Arabic. Snoddy's translator says Amal is complaining that the neighborhood children tease her and say the Americans cannot help her.
It is an absolutely heart-wrenching scene. Sitting in the corner, Steffey speaks up.
"We've got to do something," he says. "She is a . . . little girl. And she got blown up because we are here."
Snoddy and Steffey agree that they will ask the brigade surgeon to return for another visit. As the platoon gets up and prepares to leave, the soldiers begin talking about how much money from each of them it will take to raise the $500.
On the way home from the patrol, an explosion rocks the Stryker immediately ahead of Steffey's vehicle. His television monitor shows a puff of smoke ahead. The platoon has been hit with an IED. It was a small roadside bomb, and the Stryker's are tough vehicles. There are no injuries or damage to the soldiers—and there were no Iraqis in the range of the blast. But the irony is still not lost on Steffey.
"Here we are just trying to help the little girl," he says, "and we get hit by an IED."
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