75 year old Doc still with the troops in war zones

DefenseLINK:

Most military members end their careers by the time they are half his age, but one Army doctor says he would rather come out of retirement to help the troops than watch from the sidelines.

Tomorrow, retired Army Reserve Col. William Bernhard, a 75-year-old surgeon, will start a journey to Afghanistan, his third deployment in the war on terror.

"It's a great opportunity for me to serve the young men and women who, as we all know, have medical and surgical problems," said Bernhard. "We need trained, experienced physicians to take care of them, and I feel honored that I've been selected to go over there and provide medical care for these troops."

Bernhard, who lives in Cecil County, Md., has over 40 years' medical experience, directing anesthesia at the University of Maryland's shock trauma center for 10 of those years. He said he has trained countless military medics in the emergency room, and he remains one of the Army's most experienced flight surgeons, keeping his skills up part time at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

"It doesn't take any training for me to go to war," he said. "All I have to do is get new uniforms ... and qualify again with the 9-millimeter (pistol)."

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There is more including a photo of Col. Bernhard with his pistol strapped on. I appreciate his service and his patriotism. Hat tip to Small Wars Journal.