About This Series

Reporter David Zucchino and photographer Rick Loomis spent several weeks in October and November embedded with Army and Air Force medical units in Baghdad and Balad, Iraq, and with two Army air ambulance medical companies at the Balad military air base north of Baghdad. This series, The Lifeline, is the result of those assignments.

The two journalists were provided complete access to the work of doctors, surgeons, nurses and Black Hawk medevac helicopter crews as they evacuated and treated wounded U.S. troops, Iraqi military and police, and Iraqi civilians. The access extended to helicopters and operating rooms.

FOR THE WEB

Produced by Diana Swartz

Designed by Stephanie Ferrell

Multimedia produced by John Vande Wege

Interactive design by Bill Bergren