UNMC grad provides medical support in Afghanistan

When Wendy Johnson graduated from the UNMC Physician Assistant Education program in December 1998, she realized not only her dream for a health professions career, but a military one as well.

The U.S. Army informed her that she could receive a direct commission into the military as an officer and she jumped at the opportunity.

Today, Capt. Wendy Johnson, PA-C, is deployed with a medical support unit at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

Capt. Johnson has served in the Army for three years. She lives in Omaha, but is a member of the Iowa National Guard because there were no slots for physician assistants in the Nebraska Guard. While living at home, she does her Guard training in Johnston, Iowa.

Born in Norfolk, Neb., Capt. Johnson grew up in Blair, where she worked at a local nursing home during high school. By 1996, when she graduated magna cum laude from Dana College with bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology, she had worked with the elderly for seven years. She also had been trained as a certified emergency medical technician.

Capt. Johnson developed an affinity for geriatric care while living in Blair. Before her deployment to Afghanistan, she also did a mini-fellowship with the UNMC Department of Geriatrics.

“I jumped on the opportunity to participate,” Capt. Johnson said. “Geriatric care is often lumped into internal medicine, but geriatric care is becoming a more needed specialty, especially as a greater proportion of our population continues to live longer. Our way of treating the elderly needs to evolve to be able to provide the most appropriate and efficient care for that growing population.”

Wendy Johnson at her Bluffs Family Health Care clinic in Council Bluffs.

Although Capt. Johnson had selected college rather than the military when she graduated from high school, she had always thought about putting on a uniform and respected America’s armed forces. Her husband served in the U.S. Air Force and is now a commissioned officer in the Nebraska Air Guard. He always encouraged her to enlist because of the opportunities and the camaraderie of soldiers. There also was a financial incentive – the military would help repay her student loans.

Still, it was the desire to serve her country and fellow citizens that led Capt. Johnson to military duty.

“I had a great job as a physician assistant at Bluffs Family Health Care in Council Bluffs,” Capt. Johnson said. “I was happily married and had a lovely home. But I wanted something more and military service was it.

“We all know of the senseless death and destruction that has gone on inside and outside the United States. I know I can contribute to helping end that. Also, I like the structure and the hierarchy and respect that the military instills in its operations.”

At Bagram Airfield, Capt. Johnson serves as medical support to a unit of military police officers. Bagram Airfield has its own unique history, as it was a key base for the Russians when they fought in Afghanistan. The area still has many old land mines. Many are found and detonated, but others are stepped on and create severe injuries, which Capt. Johnson has helped to treat. Her tour of duty will be approximately one year. She also may do some out-missions to other parts of Afghanistan, as well.

In an e-mail exchange, Capt Johnson talked about her generation’s ability to have direct communications with loved ones while serving in a combat zone. For soldiers in Vietnam, other than writing letters, there was virtually no communications with family at home.

“The changes and possibilities that have come about as far as communication with loved ones have really evolved over the short period between Vietnam and now,” Capt. Johnson said.

“I have a Web cam and it is amazing. Yet it is a bit scary, too. To be able to see loved ones in the here and now – what a morale boost! It really keeps me motivated, but it pulls on the heart strings, too, and sometimes makes it hard.”