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Peel Paramedic Mentors Local Medics in War-Torn Afghanistan

The air was dry and the sun was strong, the temperature hovering at about 54 degrees Celsius, when Peel Regional Paramedic James Park arrived at the military base of Masum Ghar in August of 2008. At the time he didn’t realize how his seven-month experience with the Canadian military’s Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) in Afghanistan would change his perspective on life.

“We’re so lucky to live in a country like Canada where your freedom of movement isn’t restricted and you don’t have to worry about setting off a bomb and losing a limb or your life with every step you take,” said James.

Sergeant and Peel Regional Paramedic James Park chats with a young Afghan boy while resting during a patrol of an area called Senjary.

Proud father Justin and step-mother In Yeung greet their son James on his return from Afghanistan. As part of the Canadian military’s Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT), James mentored frontline Afghan medics.

James was born in Korea and raised in Scarborough. Now at the age of 37, he lives in Mississauga where he works as a Peel Paramedic to help ensure the health and safety of the Peel community.

As a young man, James was very proud of his father’s military service to his native country of Korea and wanted to contribute to Canada in the same way. In high school, James joined the infantry of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, a Scottish-based reserve infantry unit – complete with kilts! While there, he worked with army medics and decided to pursue a career in emergency medical services so “I could treat patients and improve the health and safety of my community.”

After graduating from Centennial College in 1995, paramedic jobs were scarce. James continued with the military and joined the eyes and ears of the brigade known as The Queen’s York Rangers - a Reserve Armoured Reconnaissance Unit.

In 1999, Park signed on as a paramedic with Peel York District Ambulance Service. At the beginning of his career, he expected calls that would have him racing from one life-threatening situation to another and making life-altering decisions for the people he cared for. That was not the reality of paramedicine. After eight years as a Peel paramedic, James felt compelled to take his skills to Afghanistan with the Canadian military where he would mentor members of the Afghan National Army responsible for the medical care of those wounded in battle.

“It isn’t surprising that James took on a challenge like this,” remarked Russ Power, Peel Regional Paramedic Platoon Manager. “He’s a great paramedic who makes a positive difference in our community and we’re proud to have him as part of Peel’s service.”

Stationed at Masum Ghar, a forward operating base for the Canadian military, Park worked alongside 300 Canadian, Afghan and American soldiers as well as other paramedics, professionals and locals. The Canadian task force consisted of three groups: The 3rd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group, an armoured infantry fighting group; The Provisional Reconstruction Team, helping with infrastructure, distribution of food and employing civilians to build roads; and Operational Mentor and Liaison Team, a group of mentors whose role was to help develop the Afghan National Army.

James’ role was to provide frontline First Aid training to the Afghan army medics and medical personnel.

“Frontline First Aid is a little different on a battlefield,” assures Park. “We’re talking about a specific skill set to cope with injuries that a soldier would get – severe bleeding from bullets, shrapnel and rocket propelled grenades.”

Afghan medics were taught to properly pack a large wound and pierce a hole into the chest to avoid a lung from getting squished from increased air pressure.

James went through a number of emotional ups and downs throughout his experience.

In September of 2008, James and 90 members of the Afghan National Army and a dozen Canadian soldiers were sent to a small outpost called Mushan just outside of Kandahar. Due to the high threat level of transporting personnel to such a remote location, it took over 70 armoured vehicles including tanks, LAV-3s and recovery vehicles to transport troops to Mushan. The remote strongpoint was chosen to show the villagers in the area that the Canadians and Afghan soldiers were there to help them and to deny the Taliban a foothold in the area.

There were no safe areas at Mushan. One of the most tragic moments for James happened when an Afghan soldier was struck in the neck by a piece of shrapnel from a Mortar. With the soldier struggling to breathe James realized there was little he could do to help. “In the moment, you don’t think about how an experience like that is going to change the way you look at life and the way I look at my role as a paramedic back home,” said Park.

Serving as a paramedic in Afghanistan put a great deal of perspective on life back home in Canada. The way other parts of the world live and the daily hardship and fear they face made Park realize just how precious life is. Now back in Peel and responding to emergencies, he sees patients very differently.

“Even when I go to a 3 a.m. call for something that isn’t really an emergency, it’s an emergency to my patient,” said Park. “I see each person as someone that needs my care and recognize that while I may never see them again, how I relate to them at that moment in time makes an impact.”

In 2008, Peel Paramedics responded to approximately 80,000 emergency calls. From restarting failed heartbeats to administering life-saving medications, men and women like Park are highly trained professionals dedicated to the health and safety of the community.

In an emergency, always call 9-1-1