Page 412 - Wounded News Today

Medication and everything, fairly pain-free? >> im doing pretty good. >> yeah? this is not such a good day? >> well, yesterday was tough, because they took me out of the bed. >> for these troops, pain and exhaustion, but they are going home. that story tomorrow. barbara starr, cnn. >> and for more of barbara starrs amazing stories of doctors and nurses who get the wounded out of a war zone, watch the "the situation room" with wolf blitzer, 5:00 p.m. eastern. [ dr. banholzer ] every once in awhil...

Conflict in iraq. >> reporter: specialist gary davis arrived here from afghanistan a couple of days ago. he survived a massive roadside bomb. portions of both legs have been amputated. >> we flipped over. everybody had their seat belts and stuff on. but we were in pain. i got out of the vehicle, undid my seat belt and i just plopped on to the ground. with all the adrenaline going through me, i did notice that my legs were messed up. but i crawled as far as i could to the door, thats all the ener...

Her new braces but quickly this 27-year-old begins to open up. >> weve seen so many people with missing legs, arms, eyeballs, its been crazy. >> reporter: she tells us these days, there may be as many as four buses of wounded a day. it used to be just one. she talks to the troops. >> one story that i heard that particularly stuck in my mind was, he said that he was looking out the window in iraq. and the next thing, he woke up, he was here. and he had no legs. >> reporter: that is a lot for you ...

Eyeballs, i mean no -- its been crazy. >> she tells us, these days there may be as many as four buses of wounded a day. it used to be just one. shelandra talks to the troops. >> one story i heard that particularly stuck in my mind was he said that he was looking out the window in iraq, and the next thing, he woke up and he was here. and he had no legs. so -- >> that is a lot for you to deal with at the age of 27. >> yeah. >>is hard. >> yeah. it is. but im -- i would rather help someone than it b...

Bomb. portions of both legs have been amputa amputated. >> we flipped over. everybody had their seat belts and stuff on. but, you know, we were in pain. i got out of the vehicle and undid my seatbelt and just flopped on to the ground. with all the adrenaline going through me, i did notice that my leg was messed up, but i crawled as far as i could to a door. thats all the energy i had had, and i just kept on yelling "help me, help me." >> davis is on constant pain medication, but still, doctors w...

You went to afghanistan together, and you fought together and you got hit together. now, you are coming home together? >> yes. >> the tower reaching 612 -- >> reporter: for many of the soldiers the journey home is almost complete. many we have spoken to have already reenlisted and anxious to get back to afghanistan to stand beside their fellow soldiers, even as the cycle of war wounded continues. >> and barbara is joining us in "the situation room." nearly 600 american troops are wounded in afgh...

These days there may be as many as four buses full a day. it used to be just one. she talks to the troops. >> one story that i heard that particularly stuck in my mind was he said that he was looking out the window in iraq, and the next thing he woke up he was here, so -- and he had no legs. so -- >> reporter: that is a lot for you to deal with at the age of 27. >> yeah. >> reporter: its hard. >> yeah. it is. but id rather help someone than it be the other way around. thats how i look at it. >> ...

Wounded right off the battlefield. but i want to introduce you to some young troops and the medical teams that are bringing them home. its before dawn in the trauma bay of a base in afghanistan. another soldier wounded in the fighting down south, surgeons, nurse, doing everything they can. the journey home starts here. in vietnam, it could take weeks. but now wounded can be home in days. cnn was granted exclusive access to see the medical care that makes it possible to treat injured troops. this...

Wheelchair, and took another look at him, and said, man, what are you doing here again? im not supposed to see you again, and sure enough, he had suffered another explosion injury. >> the doors have just shut on this air medical evacuation flight here in bag ram, afghanistan. the wounded have already been loaded. you can see that medical staff is already taking care of them, even before we take off. we are about to go on an eight-hour flight back to germany. these troops are going to the regiona...

Here. so, he had no legs. so. >> reporter: that is a lot for you the deal with at the age of 27. >> yeah. >> reporter: it is hard? >> yeah. it is. but, id rather help someone that it be the other way around, that is how i look at it. >> reporter: as soon as the wounded are stabilize enough to fly again, they leave germany and are loaded one last time on to the cargo plane for the nine-hour flight back to the united states. medications are checked, and rechecked. >> number 20. >> go ahead. lower....