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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday November 17, 2007 - 7 Second tour of duty on the horizon CABINET REFACING AFTER after Continued from page 4 medical staff would put it aside and go back to work. Smith says these moments of sorrow would be countered by moments of elation when something good would happen. One of these moments took place during Smith's first month in Afghanistan when she and the hospital staff were able to rise to the occasion after an American helicopter crash swamped them with casualties. "Some had already been killed in action, but we had close to 15 injured people that came in. Five came in, then another rush of three came in and then another rush of four came in and it was just overwhelmingly crazy, but we dealt with it," said Smith. "One of the most gratifying things I did was taking them all out to the airplane at the end of the night and giving them all Gravol and morphine, so they'd be able to sleep and be pain free." In another incident, surgeons at the hospital were able to repair a terrible injury to a nine-year-old girl's leg, which had occurred during a Taliban attack that killed the girl's parents and one of her siblings. "We almost took her under our wing like she was our little girl. I remember lying with her at night, cuddling her, holding her when she was trying to sleep because she was having nightmares about what had happened," said Smith. "In the end she walked out of the hospital with a smile on her face." Being promoted from lieutenant to captain was another high point of Smith's Afghan deployment. This celebration was made all the more special by the fact that Smith's father, Lieutenant Colonel Guy Smith, who was also serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan, preformed the ceremony and presented her with Captain's bars. "It was really nice that my dad was there, he was very proud of me," said Smith. "It's funny because I call him dad all the time, but when we're around other people I have to respect the rank and say, `Yes sir, thank you sir.' He's good about not ordering me around though." After seeing the suffering of wounded Afghan civilians and coalition soldiers, it may seem unimaginable that Smith would PROMOTION: A newly promoted Captain Stephanie Smith receives a congratulatory handshake from her commanding officer as her father Lieutenant Colonel Guy Smith looks on. be asked to care for those who Equally strange was the harmed them and yet on numer- change in profession from being a ous occasions she did exactly that. nurse on the front lines to being a "If we injure a Taliban, it does- nurse in the civilian world. n't matter if that Taliban just killed "Nothing could amount to five of your friends, we take them what we had done. You go back to into the hospital and rehabilitate the civilian hospital and it's just them," said Smith. not the same, it doesn't have that Although they were hand- excitement or that gratifying feelcuffed, Smith says the Taliban got ing. People are more negative in the exact same treatment she the workplace, which is tough would give to anyone else with when you're so used to an envipain medication or food available ronment where everyone is so to them on request. grateful for everything you do," "Personally I don't want any- said Smith. one to die. Just because the When confronted with the Taliban are killing lots of people controversy surrounding Canada's doesn't mean I want every Taliban presence in Afghanistan, Smith is to die. I would ideally like to see making no apologies to anyone, the Taliban work with the govern- noting that Canada is helping the ment and get along with them," people of that country. said Smith. "There were a huge amount of In other situations Smith says women in Afghanistan who were she may have treated Taliban fight- dying during childbirth before the ers without even knowing it. last six years that we've been "You have to be careful implementing medical care, because sometimes an injured because initially only 10-20 per Taliban will be found and they'll cent of the country's population come to the hospital. They know was able to access medical care. we have great hospitals, so they Now it's up to 80 per cent," said claim to be Afghan army or police. Smith. They'll play that card and some"It's very hard when you come times we take them in," said home and people don't seem supSmith. portive. People don't realize how "It doesn't happen often and much that's hurtful, especially for there are a lot of interrogations people who have lost friends or that take place to make sure they who left their family for six are who they say they are." months and wanted to be home." Finally, in August Smith's sixWhatever view the Canadian month tour in Afghanistan came people have of the conflict in to an end, despite Smith offering Afghanistan Smith says she will to stay three months longer to fill continue to be a part of it with her a vacancy. second deployment expected as Smith notes the return to early as August 2008. Canada proved to be a strange "I never knew this was what I one, describing the transition wanted to do until I got there," from the cramped military quar- said Smith. ters in Afghanistan to her spacious "This is my calling, this is what civilian home as surreal. I want to do." before BEFORE THE BAY OAKVILLE PLACE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE grand opening OF THEIR NEW MAC COSMETIC COUNTER THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH Look for MAC's exclusive holiday kits brush sets $62, eye palettes $45, lip palettes $28.50. Call the MAC counter today at 905-842-4811 ext. 321 to book your appointment in order to glamorize your holiday look with a MAC experience! 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