It's been my longtime desire to become an army-trained critical care nurse, taking care of soldiers in a deployed environment and making a different impact than I did as a finance soldier serving in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.

Until I read about it in Mr. Vanfosson's article, "Preparing for a Year on the Battlefield" (Letters from Afghanistan, November 2010), I was unaware that a forward surgical team had come under fire in Afghanistan in late 2009 and that a nurse had been killed. Learning about this unfortunate incident has given me a dose of reality, reminding me of the dangers of serving during wartime as a nurse. Nonetheless I still look forward to the (unfortunate, due to the circumstances) opportunity to provide nursing care to wounded soldiers.

I hope that Mr. Vanfosson and the rest of his team remain encouraged and return unharmed to their families.

Staff Sergeant Jorge Menjivar, RN

U.S. Army Reserve Fort Benning, GA