Oral History Interview with Linda Brashears

Partial Transcript: Would you please state your name, for the record.

Segment Synopsis: Brashears was born in Louisville in 1954 and describes herself as a tomboy growing up. Brashears attended Seneca High School in Louisville and joined the Women's Army Corps when she was nineteen. Brashears' training took place at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. After finishing her basic training, Brashears had advanced individual training at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

Keywords: Advanced individual training; AIT; Medics; Seneca High School (Louisville, Ky.); Sergeants; Women's Army Corps (U.S.)

Subjects: Fort Jackson (S.C.); Fort Sam Houston (Tex.); Louisville (Ky.); Training; United States. Army; United States. Army Reserve; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: Where'd you do your basic training?

Segment Synopsis: Brashears found her basic training to be physically and mentally difficult. Brashears says that she grew up in a strict and disciplined environment, since her stepfather was the Assistant Chief of Police at the Louisville Metro Police Department. Brashears says that she was not deterred from joining the Army by the overall negative American public opinion of the military during the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Brashears did very well on the ASVAB exam and her high scores allowed her to have several military job assignments to choose from. Brashears selected the position of a medic because she was interested in becoming a nurse at the time, which would help her decide if she would like nursing. Brashears was stationed with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. Brashears underwent specialized training at Fort Campbell for airborne and assault missions. Brashears was assigned to a MASH unit hospital and trained National Guard medics.

Keywords: 101st Airborne Division; ASVAB test; Honors Service Vocational Aptitude Battery; MASH; Medics; Military occupational specialization; Mobile Army Surgical Hospital; MOS

Subjects: 101st Airborne Division Association; Airborne operations (Military science); Basic training; Discipline; Early life; Fort Campbell (Ky. and Tenn.); Fort Jackson (South Carolina); Louisville (Ky.); Nineteen seventies; Nurses; Nursing; Police; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Public opinion; Stepfathers; United States. Army; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: What's the job of a medic?

Segment Synopsis: Brashears explains that a military medic is similar to a civilian Licensed Practical Nurse, performing duties such as administering vaccines and IVS. Brashears served at Fort Campbell before requesting an overseas transfer. Subsequently, Brashears was stationed at a military hospital in Nuremberg, Germany. Brashears worked as a medical specialist mostly treating pediatric patients. Brashears explains that most patients at the military hospital were either the children or spouses of military personnel. Brashears says that she would often fill in for medics on leave in different departments such as radiology and urology. Brashears also occasionally worked in the emergency department and found it difficult to treat patients who had suffered traumatic injuries. Brashears lost one pediatric patient, a nine-month-old baby, to a bowel obstruction.

Keywords: Combat training; MASH; Medics; Military occupational specialty; Mobile Surgical Army Hospital; MOS; Women's Army Corps (U.S.)

Subjects: Children; Clinics; Death; Fort Campbell (Ky. and Tenn.); Germany; Health; Infants; Military hospitals; Nineteen seventies; Nuremberg (Germany); Nurses; Nursing; Pediatrics; Soldiers; Trauma; United States. Army; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: So, after Nuremburg, where do you go?

Segment Synopsis: After serving in the Army for three years, Brashears decided that she wanted to come home, since she could not do two overseas tours in a row without re-enlisting. Brashears says that she wanted to be posted to Hawaii, which the Army classified as an overseas tour. Brashears then returned to Louisville and attended Jefferson Community and Technical College before working at the post office for seven years. Brashears joined the National Guard in part from the encouragement of several colleagues at the post office who were in the Kentucky National Guard.

Keywords: Colleagues; Overseas tours

Subjects: Hawaii; Jefferson Community and Technical College (Louisville, Ky.); Louisville (Ky.); Military discharge; United States Postal Service; United States. Army; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: Some of the guys at the post office were in the National Guard, and they talked me into joining the National Guard.

Segment Synopsis: Brashears served in the Kentucky National Guard from 1977 to 1983 out of the 104th unit at the Louisville Fairgrounds. Brashears says that the unit had an administrative mission and she served as the company medic, primarily teaching first aid skills to soldiers. Brashears states that she served one weekend per month and had active duty training each summer for several weeks. Brashears was transferred over to a chemical unit during her service, which she explains is common in the National Guard. Brashears also mentions that her brother was in the National Guard and the two got to train together during the annual active duty training missions. Brashears says that she enjoyed the comradery between the soldiers in her company. Brashears also participated in several outreach activities while in the National Guard, including an interview for a local TV station in Louisville, attended charity events such as the WHAS Crusade for Children, and was a part of the security detail for the Kentucky Derby.

Keywords: Comradery; Kentucky National Guard 104th unit; Louisville Fairgrounds; Medics; Military occupational specialty; MOS; Post offices

Subjects: Administration; Brother; Camp Shelby (Miss.); First aid; Louisville (Ky.); Outreach; Security; Soldiers; Television; Training; United States. National Guard; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: . . . My husband was transferred to Chicago.

Segment Synopsis: Brashears says that she left the National Guard in 1983 when her civilian husband got a job transfer to Chicago. Brashears explains that she did not necessarily want to leave the National Guard, but she could not find childcare for her infant son for the two week training period for the Illinois National Guard. Brashears then took a twenty year break from the National Guard to raise her son. In 2003, when her son was out of high school, Brashears, then divorced from her husband, decided to move back to Louisville (since she found the Chicago winters to be unbearably cold). Brashears then got a job at the VA in Louisville while her son stayed in Chicago and lived with her ex-husband so that he could play junior hockey. Brashears also says that she worked for the federal government in the Office of Personnel Management for five years while living in Chicago supervising ASVAB testing.

Keywords: ASVAB test; Background checks; Deployment (Military); Honors Service Vocational Aptitude Battery; Husband; Illinois National Guard; Kentucky National Guard; Medics; Military ranks; Mourning period; Re-enlistment; Ronald Reagan; Son

Subjects: Birthdays; Chicago (Ill.); Death; Federal government; Hockey; Holidays; Illinois; Infants; Louisville (Ky.); Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001-; Persian Gulf War, 1991; Training; Transfer; United States. Department of Defense; United States. Department of Veterans Affairs; United States. Marines; United States. National Guard; United States. Office of Personnel Management; Veterans; War on Terrorism, 2001-2009; Weather; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: . . . What year was--what year was that and why did you re-enlist?

Segment Synopsis: Brashears wanted to get back into the military in part because of the ongoing War on Terror and the Persian Gulf War. Brashears worked with many Operation Enduring Freedom veterans at the VA and felt that she should be doing more to serve her country. In the spring of 2004, Brashears decided to enlist in the National Guard. Subsequently, Brashears found out that she needed to have served twenty years in the military before her 50th birthday to be eligible to skip basic training, which was fast approaching that year. The re-enlistment process became even more complicated for Brashears when former President Ronald Reagan died and federal offices were unexpectedly closed. Brashears initially thought that she would not get her re-enlistment papers submitted before her birthday, but a Marine sergeant came in to file the paperwork when federal offices were closed. Brashears was able to keep her old rank from her last service period and was scheduled to undergo combat training as a medic, but was deployed to Iraq before her training began.

Partial Transcript: They deployed me to Iraq.

Segment Synopsis: Brashears was not surprised about her deployment given the situation with the War on Terror at the time in 2005. Brashears was assigned to be a postal supervisor at Forward Operating Base Falcon on the outskirts of Baghdad. Brashears says that she had five months of pre-deployment training at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Brashears explains that the training was very-combat focused, with convoy and rollover missions and weapons training. Brashears emphasizes the importance of her lifesaver training, which taught her the skills necessary to keep soldiers alive before being transferred to military hospitals. Brashears says that no soldiers from her company died from battle wounds due to this training. Brashears states that Base Falcon was in a dangerous area of Baghdad 25 miles from the Green Zone. Brashears explains that her job picking up mail was risky due to the explosives and mortars in the surrounding area, but was an important morale boost for soldiers to send and receive mail from relatives back home. Brashears says that she traveled by convoy to pick up the mail for safety reasons. Eventually, Brashears worked to coordinate flights so that troops picking up mail could avoid the Triangle of Death Zone while traveling to troops in outlying areas of Baghdad.

Keywords: Combat training; Convoys; Deployment (Military); Forward Operating Base Falcon; Green Zone (Iraq War); Humvees; Medical treatment; Post offices; Triangle of Death (Iraq); Wounds

Subjects: Aircraft; Americans; Baghdad (Iraq); Climate; Communication; Danger; EExplosives; Fort Campbell (Ky. and Tenn.); Fort McCoy (Wis.); Health; Helicopters; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Mail; Military uniforms; Morale; Mortars; Soldiers; Training; United States; United States. Army; United States. National Guard; War on Terror, 2001-2009; Weapons; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: Well, you mentioned being injured, what happened?

Segment Synopsis: Brashears says that she developed tinnitus in her left ear when an improvised explosive device hit her Humvee while on a mission to pick up mail. Brashears explains that this injury occurred on her first mission out in the field with a convoy on a trip from Baghdad to Mahmudiyah, a town near the Euphrates River. Brashears' convoy had to remain at a former water treatment plant when several improvised explosive devices were found along the road by the Iraqi Army. Brashears helped nearby children with the medical problems they had suffered due to the closure of the water treatment plant, including liver cancer. Brashears says that the Iraqi Army gave the all clear for her convoy to depart, but explains that many American soldiers did not trust the Iraqi Army because of its lack of resources and training. Despite these reservations, the convoy began to make its way back towards Baghdad when the convoy's Humvee was stuck by an improvised explosive device. Brashears' convoy then stopped at an operating base in Latifiya, which had recently suffered a fire in which many of the soldiers' personal belongings were destroyed. Brashears was able to get her local American Legion chapter in Kentucky to donate supplies.

Keywords: Convoys; Ear injuries; Forward Operating Bases; Humvees; JSB Bridge (Iraq); Latifiya (Iraq); Missions; Post offices

Subjects: American Foreign Legion; Baghdad (Iraq); Children; Danger; Euphrates River; Fire; Grenades; Health; Helicopters; Improvised explosive devices; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Iraqis; Liver--Cancer; Maḥmūdīyah (Iraq); Mail; Mortars; Pilots; Tents; Tinnitus; United States. Army; United States. National Guard; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: Were there very few women that you were serving with . . .

Segment Synopsis: Brashears says that most women she encountered serving in Iraq were in combat support roles. Brashears states that she was one of only two women on the mission to Latifyia and that they ended up sleeping in a tent with male soldiers. In Brashears' view, the U.S. did a good job of repairing Iraq's infrastructure including schools and cities. Brashears also thinks that military medics were helpful in their willingness to treat Iraqis. Brashears believes that anti-American terrorist groups and insurgents would target American-made infrastructure, which created an endless build and re-build cycle, which derailed Iraq's war recovery efforts.

Keywords: Latifyia (Iraq); Medics

Subjects: Americans; Baghdad (Iraq); Cities; Civil engineers; Infrastructure; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Iraqis; Men; Schools; Tents; United States. Army; United States. National Guard; Women; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: But our last couple of months there were bad because--um--I--I also got hurt--um--uh--in October . . . it was a bad injury.

Segment Synopsis: Brashears says that she suffered an injury from an incoming mortar while on her base one evening. Brashears was attending a comedy show in the dining facilities put on by two American comedians the night she was hit by a mortar. Brashears explains that entertainment options for soldiers on the base were limited, since mortars were such a common sight in the area of Baghdad the base was located in. Brashears says that she learned to differentiate between the sounds of incoming and outgoing and mortars. Brashears describes outgoing mortars as similar to the sound of roman candles. Brashears and her commanding officer were hit by mortars on the way back to the barracks from the comedy show. Brashears communicated with other troops through Iraqi cell phones. Brashears observed that the second mortar exploded right near the entrance to the dining facility, meaning that someone within the base had informed insurgents about the comedy show.

Keywords: Comedy shows; Commanders; Dining facilities; Entertainment; Forward Operating Base Falcon; Injuries; Post offices

Subjects: Baghdad (Iraq); Barracks; Bunkers (Fortification); Cell phones; Comedians; Communication; Helicopters; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Iraqis; Mail; Mortars; Soldiers; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: . . . And then the fourth one hit and it hit--uh--way too close to where I was so, I ran in a bunker.

Segment Synopsis: When a third mortar hit a truck near Brashears, she decided to run into a nearby bunker to take shelter. While in the bunker, Brashears saw a massive explosion and the scene of people running away from the blast reminded her of the infamous pictures from the Invasion of Hanoi. Brashears attempted to convince the mostly Pakistani and Indian non-military staff to shelter in the bunker with her, but they continued to run away from the explosions. Brashears soon discovered that a mortar had hit an ammo holding area, causing the ammo to detonate. Brashears was hit by some pieces of debris from the explosions while in the bunker. Brashears made many phone calls while she was alone in the bunker for three and a half hours, fearing that she may die. Brashears called her mother and told her that the incident had made American news. Brashears was forced to leave the bunker when a fire filled with harmful gases broke out nearby.

Keywords: Green Zone (Iraq); News; Phone calls

Subjects: Ammo; Baghdad (Iraq); Bunkers (Fortification); Cell phones; Communication; Danger; Death; Explosives; Fear; Fire; Gas; Indians; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Iraqis; Mortars; Mother; Pakistanis; Protection; Safety; Soliders; Television; Weapons; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: So you get out and what do you do?

Segment Synopsis: When Brashears left the bunker, she ran to a nearby ditch and was hit by debris from the exploding American ammo supply. Brashears then made her way to the dining facility with debris flying everywhere. Brashears managed to get to the troop medical clinic and was bleeding, felt dizzy and had a headache. After spending most of the night at the troop clinic, Brashears was sent to the post office to recover and wait until it was safe to be taken off the base and receive further medical care. Brashears says that she survived on military ready-to-eat meals and water for the next three days. As time went on, Brashears states that the pain got worse in her head to the point that she could not sleep at night. Brashears went back to the troop clinic and received IVs. Once a naval ordinance team arrived to clean up the damage caused by the exploded ammo and the mortars, Brashears was taken via a Humvee off the base for additional medical treatment.

Keywords: Concussions; Debris; Dining facilities; General James D. Thurman; Humvees; Injuries; IVs; Meal, Ready-to-Eat; MREs; Post offices; Shelter; Trucks

Subjects: Ammo; Baghdad (Iraq); Blood; Bunkers (Fortification); Chicken; Clinics; Ditches; Dizziness; Explosives; Fire; Food; Health; Improvised explosive devices; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Mortars; Peanut butter; Safety; United States. Army; United States. National Guard; United States. Navy; Water; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: What does an experience like that do to a person?

Segment Synopsis: Brashears says that she suffered a very rare moderate brain injury, which one of her doctors at Walter Reed deemed a 'black swan' injury. Brashears explains that most traumatic brain injuries occur over an extended period of time, while her injury occurred in a three hour period when the mortars exploded on her base. Brashears was even invited to a medical military forum in Kansas City, a testament to the rarity of her injury even among veterans. Brashears says that she struggles with her short term memory and learning new skills, but has less issues with her long term memory. Brashears goes to physical and occupational therapy to help deal with her balance issues and vestibular problems. Brashears thinks that many soldiers get misdiagnosed with personality disorders when in reality they have traumatic brain injuries. Brashears shares that she has both PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. Brashears also mentions that the medical field is still learning about traumatic brain injuries as more veterans are being diagnosed. For instance, Brashears is participating in a fifteen year study on her traumatic brain injury at Walter Reed.

Keywords: Concussions; Doctors; Injuries; Medical studies; Recovery; Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence (TBICoE)

Subjects: Bethesda (Md.); Brain damage; Diagnosis; Explosives; Health; Iraq; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Medical care; Military hospitals; Mortars; Occupational therapy; Personality Disorders; Physical therapy; Post traumatic stress disorder; Short-term memory; Soldiers; United States. Army; United States. National Guard; Veterans; Walter Reed Army Medical Center; Women in combat; Women veterans

Partial Transcript: How do you differentiate, in your experience the TBI vs the PTSD?

Segment Synopsis: Brashears says that she experiences the effects of PTSD and her traumatic brain injury differently. Brashears explains that her PTSD can be triggered by certain every day events, such as running over a squirrel. Brashears states that she goes to therapy for both of her medical conditions and was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury while receiving medical treatment in Iraq. Brashears recalls that she was referred to brain injury specialists by a neurologist during her post-deployment period at Fort McCoy. Brashears says that she is improving each day with her traumatic brain injury and contributes to the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky. Brashears also gives speeches about her experiences of living with a traumatic brain injury to different National Guard units.

Keywords: Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky; Doctors; Recovery; Triggers

Subjects: Brain injuries; Fort McCoy (Wis.); Iraq War, 2003-2011; Neurologists; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychologists; Speeches; Therapy; United States. National Guard; Walter Reed Army Hospital (Washington, D.C.); Women veterans

Partial Transcript: No--I was medically discharged on--October 31st--2008.

Segment Synopsis: Brashears was medically discharged from the military in October 2008 due to her traumatic brain injury. Brashears says it was difficult for her to give up the military lifestyle, since she liked the comradery it fostered. Brashears thinks that the military has changed for women, especially in terms of occupational specialties they are allowed to select. Brashears adds that the military has remained essentially the same when it comes to widespread problems of women experiencing sexual assault and trauma. Brashears says that she wanted to do something in aviation when she joined the Army in the early 1970s, but women were not permitted to go airborne at that time. One of Brashears' younger friends in the Army achieved the goals that Brashears wishes she could have accomplished when she was that age. Brashears was the first woman to graduate from air transport ability school at Fort Campbell. Brashears states that she was determined to defy gender stereotypes about women while she the was in the Army and became a member of the pistol team in her unit. Brashears believes that the War on Terror has demonstrated that women can do more than some people think in the military, citing Senator Tammy Duckworth (who lost both legs in combat) as an example.

Keywords: Commanding generals; Comradery; Gender stereotypes; Military occupational specialty; MOS; Senators; Tammy Duckworth

Subjects: Disabled veterans; Fort Campbell (Ky. and Tenn.); Friendship; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Military discharge; Pistols; Role models; Stereotypes (Social psychology); United States. Army; United States. National Guard; War on Terror, 2001-2009; Women in combat; Women veterans