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Local hospital answers call to help soldiers fight heat in Iraq

Jun- 1-2006 » Filed Under: Homefront

Link to Full Article
David Nichol, T-H Staff Writer

It started with an article on an online bulletin board called "Stryker Battalion News."

Brad and Rush Beavers read it, because their son drives a Stryker vehicle -- described as heavier than a Bradley, but lighter than a tank. Presently, their son B.J. is driving that vehicle in Mosul, Iraq.

The article asked for something that may surprise some folks. It asked for ice. Stryker drivers occasionally pass out from the sheer heat. The actual answer was not ice as it turned out, but chemical cold packs.

"Anytime there's an article that talks about Strykers, they put it up for us to look at," said Brad Beavers. "I saw one that caught my attention. What caught my eye, obviously, is that the young man involved talked about the Stryker vehicle drivers -- how hot it is for that driver down in that machine, next to the engine, when it's averaging 105, 110, 115 degrees during the day outside."

Beavers sent a copy of the articles to the administrators of Forrest City Medical Center.

"And within 48 hours I had a response back," he said. "Not only did they read the article, but they wanted to participate and do something like that for B.J.'s unit. As his parents, we are thrilled to death that the new hospital administration is already showing they want to be involved in our community."

When a Stryker is on a mission, Beavers said, there are between nine and 12 men in the vehicle.

"And the Army's pretty good about keeping them hydrated," said Rush Beavers. "But hydration doesn't do a lot when it's 120 degrees and you're in a metal box."

"When we read this, we went and bought some cold packs to send to B.J.," said Brad Beavers. "The word we got from him was how great they were. You stick one under your helmet or under your flack jacket."


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