Refused To Quit

By Dr. Donna Thomas-Rodgers

I let go of the rope once the helicopter had reached 90 feet and began to hover. Looking down at my hands there was blood and skin hanging off. I walked slowly over to the medic and said, “Wrap them Up, I need to do my combat rappel.”

Wearing the largest pair of gloves available, I went back into the helicopter in full combat gear and completed my combat rappel.

The next morning, (Saturday) I drove to the hospital. The nurse removed the hanging skin, treated the 19 wounds across both of my hands and instructed me to finish the 12-mile road march after my hands had healed.

On Monday morning I showed up to Air Assault School with bandaged hands, ready to complete the 12-mile road march. The instructors were apprehensive. I explained to them that I was already repeating phase three, and I was NOT coming back. The decision was made to have a cadre member march with me. Additionally, having the medics following along if, I passed out, or needed immediate medical attention.

I started the 12-mile road march in combat gear: Rucksack, Full LBE (Load Bearing Equipment), Weapon ~ M16A2 and Kevlar Helmet. The timeframe was Aug of 2000 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. It was hot, even at 4:00am.

Three days before my start date of Air Assault School, my favorite cousin died, one month before her wedding. She was at home alone trying on her wedding dress. Unfortunately, she had a seizure and fell forward on her bed and suffocated.

I drove to Detroit and attended the funeral and retuned to Clarksville, Tennessee the night before Air Assault School.

I had practiced the Obstacle Course for Air Assault School for two months and never successfully climbed the rope. It was the last obstacle of the course.

On Day Zero (the first day) 247 soldiers showed up. We were informed that there were too many of us, so we needed to do the course backwards to weed the weak soldiers out. I was a Captain and was standing at the rear of the formation. By reversing the course, I was in front of the formation.

My first obstacle was the rope, the one that I had never successfully climbed up. I made a promise to myself that I would not quit. I said a prayer and pulled myself up that rope. I completed the course and the 2-mile run. I successfully made it through Day Zero.

During my last rappel off the wall of Phase Three, I neglected to assume belay and was restarted the next day.

The day of the road march was my 13th day of Air Assault School (It was a 10 Day Course). I could not envision waiting for my hands to heal to come back to complete the 12-mile road march. It took months to prepare mentally and physically to complete Air Assault School. So, yeah with 19 open wounds on my hands, I set out to complete the 12-mile road march in less than 3 hours.

During the march, we had to hold the weapon at port arms, so both of my hands were wrapped around my weapon. I was in extreme pain. Because of the heat, I sweated through the gauze and my hands started bleeding by mile eight.

Would I make it across the finish line in time…

My completion time was: 2:53.

I refused to quit it’s the reason why I made it and graduated!

The four scars on my right hand remind me to refuse to quit.

Dr. Donna Thomas-Rodgers

Connect With Dr. Donna

www.theturnarounddoctor.com 

Instagram: turnarounddoctor 

YouTube: Turn Around Doctor 

LinkedIn: Dr. Donna Thomas-Rodgers