The Casualties of War: Afghanistan’s Medevac Missions, Up Close

3 minute read

On the final day of a two-week embed, German photographer Johannes Eisele writes about his intimate, close-up images of the casualties of war. These photographs were taken during his first time in the war zone with the medevac helicopter teams in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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I arrived in Afghanistan on Aug. 13, unsure of the story that awaited me and with no expectation or hopes of what I would be able to document there. For two weeks I was based at Forward Operating Base Pasab, Kandahar, where all the medevac missions start. After I saw the amount of pain and suffering that goes with these missions, I decided I wanted to convey these cruelties of war in my pictures.

Sometimes the radio would come on and wake us up. Just the words “medevac, medevac, medevac” would make us run to the helicopters, and we were on our way again. In the second week, the medevac picked up 34 patients—but every day was different. Sometimes there was one mission after another, and then the next day, there would be a single patient in need.

Within a war zone, the job of medevac soldiers is one of the most humane. Working in adverse conditions and often facing the most hopeless of situations, the soldiers continually show humanity and poise as they strive to do everything they can to help their patients.

US soldiers gather near a destroyed vehicle and protect their faces from rotor wash, as their wounded comrades are airlifted by a Medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder to Kandahar Hospital Role 3, on August 23, 2011.Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images

There are two places where the medevacs bring their casualties, the first being Kandahar Hospital Role 3. This is where all U.S. soldiers go and where they bring local nationals with head injuries as well as children under the age of 13. The second place is Kandahar Hospital Hero, an Afghan-run unit where all the other Afghans are treated. But at Role 3, medics and doctors are always on hand to take care of patients, whereas Hospital Hero is badly equipped and where I got the feeling that many of the staff had given up hope to help, even as new patients arrived.

I was surprised by the number of wounded civilians the medevac picked up in a matter of weeks, most of them injured by an improvised explosive devise (IED). The exceptions were two Afghan children who had been shot in the stomach and one young man who was shot in the leg. But somehow, none of them seemed to cry.

There were also the U.S. casualties, many of whom I documented close up. One soldier was taken from a U.S. vehicle, destroyed by an IED, into a packed helicopter (two medics, two pilots, one crew chief, two other wounded soldiers and me). The soldier’s legs were all badly wounded. While two were asking for water, the third put his hands together as if in prayer.

Two Afghan soldiers, shot in their legs by suspected insurgents, lie in a medevac helicopter of 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder during a flight to a hospital in Kandahar on August 17, 2011.Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images

It can be a really strange feeling, having a badly wounded person covered with blood and dust carried right in front of you. Considering that I’m writing this on the last day of my embed, I find it hard to express these thoughts. I’m still processing them myself.

Johannes Eisele began as a photojournalist at the age of 19. He worked for a local newspaper and then for German news wire agencies ddp and dpa. Four years ago he joined Reuters, and for the past 18 months he has been a staff photographer with Agence France-Presse (AFP). He covered the Athens Olympics in 2004, the 2006 World Cup and the G8 Summit riots in Heiligendamm. Eisele is based in Berlin.

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A wounded U.S. soldier holds the hand of a flight-medic as he is airlifted by a medevac (medical evacuation) helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder to Kandahar Hospital Role 3, on August 23, 2011. Three soldiers were wounded while their vehicle was destroyed up by an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED).Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
A wounded Afghan man closes his eyes as he is airlifted to Kandahar Hospital Hero by a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder on August 26, 2011. The man was hit by an IED and lost right leg. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
The hands of two U.S. soldiers heavily injured by an IED are pictured in a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder, during a flight to Kandahar Hospital Role 3, August 22, 2011. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
A wounded Afghan civilian who was shot in the leg, is flown on a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder to Kandahar Hospital Hero on August 22, 2011. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
The hands of a heavily injured U.S. soldier is pictured in a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder during a flight on August 23, 2011 to Kandahar Hospital Role 3. Two soldiers were injured by an IED. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
A wounded Afghan civilian who was shot in the leg, is flown on a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder to Kandahar Hospital Hero on August 22, 2011. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
The hands of a wounded U.S. soldier are pictured as he is airlifted by a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder to Kandahar Hospital Role 3, on August 23, 2011. Three soldiers were wounded while their vehicle was destroyed up by an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED).Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
An Afghan boy has his eyes checked by medic Stephan Flynn on a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder during a flight to a hospital in Kandahar on August 16, 2011. The boy was wounded after stepping on an IED.Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
Semena, a 10-year-old wounded Afghan girl, receives medical treatment from U.S. army medic Stephan Flynn in a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder en route to Kandahar hospital on August 21, 2011. The girl was wounded by shrapnel on both arms.Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
A wounded Afghan man from the Afghan National Police (ANP) gets some medical treatment from U.S. flight-medic, Geffrey Beaudin as he is airlifted by the medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder on August 24, 2011 to Kandahar. The man was hit by an IED and lost his left foot. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
The hand of an Afghan man wounded by a gunshot from insurgents, is pictured in the medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder during a flight to hospital in Kandahar on August 17, 2011. The civilian was brought to Kandahar Hospital Hero. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
Not all those airlifted by medevac are casualties of war. An afghan civilian, wounded in an car accident on Aug 17, 2011 was brought to hospital hero. He was badly wounded on his leg. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
U.S. army flight-medic Brandon Lowther, left, holds the hand of a fatally wounded U.S. Army soldier as he is airlifted by a medevac helicopter from the 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder on August 24, 2011 to Kandahar Hospital Role 3. Two U.S. soldiers were heavily injured by gun shots and brought to the hospital. Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images
A bloodstained broom is used to clean up after a mission by a medevac team from 159th Brigade Task Force Thunder at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Pasab on August 28, 2011. There are around 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan helping Afghan forces to fight a 10-year Taliban-led insurgency. Limited coalition combat troop withdrawals have started ahead of a 2014 deadline for them all to leave.Johannes Eisele—AFP/Getty Images

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