Regardless of what we feel about the war in Iraq, most Americans feel a deep connection to the men and women in uniform who are there fighting for us. But we don’t often think about the people who are caring for them on our behalf, the nurses and doctors who are putting their lives at risk to tend the wounded. People like U.S. Navy Commander Maureen Pennington. Pennington, 45, is the first nurse to lead a surgical company during combat operations, and her work in Iraq, along with her previous two decades of active duty, offers living testimony to the difference one individual can make by building a career out of serving the needs of others. Pennington’s eight-month tour in Iraq in 2006 earned her the Bronze Star for “heroic or meritorious achievement” in part for attaining an unprecedented 98% survival rate for her patients, many of whom were victims of severe blast wounds. On Oct. 23, she received a Minerva Award at the California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women. Named for the Roman goddess whose image is on California’s state seal, the award honors women who have “changed the state and nation with their courage, strength and wisdom.” As commanding officer of three Level 2 medical facilities–field hospitals providing emergency medical treatment and surgery–just behind the front lines in Fallujah, Ramadi and Taqaddum, Pennington displayed all those virtues. She was responsible for overseeing the treatment of mass casualties coming through the door of the surgical units, day or night, including U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers, civilians and insurgents; and transporting the most severely wounded on emergency helicopter flights in complete darkness to avoid enemy fire, all while maintaining the safety and morale of medical personnel under frequent attack. But even in the midst of this maelstrom, Pennington made time to attend to the small things that can make a big difference. Things like setting up a special area where Marines could stay close to their injured comrades and receive frequent updates on their medical condition. Or washing the blood from vehicles used to transport the wounded so that their buddies would be spared the gruesomely vivid reminder of the attack that felled their colleagues. “The more intense it got with combat casualties coming through the door, the calmer Maureen became. I think the Marines really appreciated that,” says Lieut. Joelle Annondano, a physician’s assistant who served in Iraq with Pennington. “But she was also like a mom to all of us. She was not afraid to give someone a hug when they needed it.” Or to be tough when the situation called for that. “These Marines are the same age as my son,” says Pennington, the mother of a son Travis, 26, and a daughter Grace, 15. “So I know what their fears are and how concerned they are for themselves and their brothers. And being a mother, I know you also have to be willing to be hated in order to be loved. I knew it was up to me to make sure that there were rules and structures in place because people need those too when the world is falling apart.” Now back Stateside and working at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Pennington is particularly proud of the treatment she was able to provide for wounded Iraqi soldiers and civilians–including women and children–and considers it an important part of the U.S. mission in Iraq. “If you care for someone’s children, they will love you,” she says. “The Iraqis are so grateful for the care we provide, even though it sometimes puts them in danger.” Commander Daniel Maher, Pennington’s current supervisor, attributes her success to her ability to communicate across cultures–military, medical or ethnic. But Pennington credits her leadership skills to the inspiration she receives from others and her desire to give something back. “It wasn’t always easy to balance a military career and raising a family,” she says. “But I have always tried to do something for someone else every day. People inspire you, and you inspire them, and after 21 years I can look back and say, ‘Things are better because I cared. I know I made a difference.'”
