Newtown Soldier Begins

A Medical Mission To Bosnia

By Jan Howard

When Christine Jeltema was undergoing basic training with the Connecticut National Guard in 1998 at Fort Leonardwood, Mo., she never envisioned being deployed outside the United States.

That’s about to change. On Sunday, Sergeant Jeltema, 21, will board a military plane in Hartford that will take her and other members of the 141st Medical Company to a seven- to nine-month assignment in Bosnia.

“At first I was upset because I would have to postpone graduating, but this will be a once in a lifetime experience,” Sgt Jeltema said. “I’m very excited. It will be a lot of fun.”

The Western Connecticut State University senior has taken a leave of absence from her justice and law administration classes to take part in the National Guard deployment.

“I can take classes over there, but some of them have to wait until I come home,” she said.

While she once set her sights on being a police officer, Sgt Jeltema said her career interest has changed to criminal psychology. “I want to work with troubled kids,” she said.

A fulltime student, Sgt Jeltema has spent some of her time working with a local Army recruiter, doing job fairs, and speaking about the National Guard at local schools.

Sgt Jeltema, daughter of Liz and Mike Jeltema of Golden Pond Road, joined the National Guard in September 1997, after graduating from Newtown High School. Following her eight weeks of basic training, she received ten weeks of advanced training as a medic at Ft Sam Houston in Texas.

“Basic was so much fun. I did things I thought I would never do in my life,” she said. “You learn so much more about yourself.”

Sgt Jeltema’s unit, a ground ambulance company, is based at the New Britain armory. In October 1997, she learned to drive a military ambulance during an overnight drill near Camp Rowland. The company also provides medical support for other National Guard companies in Connecticut.

Sgt Jeltema said her parents are excited about her overseas assignment. “My mom is so proud, and my dad was in Korea during Vietnam. They’re not worried.

“We’ve been training for the worst possible thing that could happen,” she said.

She explained that the situation in Bosnia is safe. “We’re part of the NATO stabilization force,” she said. “A lot of units are going as part of a stabilization force rotation. We’re rotation number nine.”

Sgt Jeltema will serve six years of active duty in the Connecticut National Guard, which requires training one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer, and two years of inactive duty. “You get more benefits with a six plus two, but other enlistment options are offered,” she noted.

 She recently completed a two-week training and briefing session prior to leaving for Eagle Base in Tuzla, Bosnia. She said she thought her company would also be serving some time in Hungary.

While she doesn’t know exactly what her company will be doing in Bosnia, she assumes it will be providing medical support at a hospital doing EMT duties. “We haven’t really talked about what we will be doing there,” she said. “We’re only training for what might happen.”

Sgt Jeltema’s training has included learning how to load casualties onto a helicopter as well as how to do procedures such as IVs, sutures, shots, intubations, and CPR.

She is eager to put her training to work. “I want to do it in a real-life situation. I want to test myself. I think it will be a real good experience.”

She said she would be working primarily with NATO personnel, though there may be civilians on the base.

There are 18 men and women in her company from all over Connecticut, she said. “We’re one big happy family.”