CPT Jeff Leonard is still doing his job of “combat stress” in Iraq.

Major Martinez stepped back away from the private and looked up at the IV bag. He put a hand on his hip, signaling a pause. The private laid back, staring intensely at the ceiling and breathing hard and fast, fearing what he knew was to come.

"Hey, I know this kid," I said to Major Baldwin. He and I were standing at the foot of the stretcher.

"Oh, yeah?" he said, turning his head toward me.

"Yeah," I replied and then quickly worked my way up to the private's head. "Private Bell, right?" I said.

Private Bell looked up at me with wide, half-panicked eyes. "Yes sir?" he answered, still breathing rapidly.

"I remember you from the BP up the road. You're the one whose sergeant fired a shotgun by your head, right?"

"Yes, sir," he said, still looking up at my face confused.

"Combat stress guy, remember? I hung out with you guys back around Thanksgiving."

"Oh, yeah," he said, and smiled. His teeth were speckled with the remnants of a dip he had obviously put in his mouth after he was shot.

"Didn't you also tell me you'd been blown up like 12 times?"

"25 now sir," he said proudly, looking up at me.

"Owwww! Owwwww!" he cried and tensed, looking back down at his wound, starting to prop himself up again, as the PA began again.

We've written about CPT Leonard before. Read the rest of this entry at his blog.