Stephen Hyland, a U.S. Army Captain and family practice physician, lives every minute in uncertainty. But with that uncertainty, comes opportunity for the miraculous. Stationed in Tikrit, Iraq, Hyland says, “I’ve seen situations where vehicles were destroyed in explosions, but soldiers walked away with only bits of shrapnel in their arms." He recalls a time when a car bomb exploded at the entrance to his base, leaving a five-foot deep crater. “There should have been more than a hundred Iraqis lined up for services, but on that day fewer locals were there. Thankfully, several Army medics were close by. Only three civilians were killed and 18 people had non-life-threatening wounds. It could have been so much worse.”
Miracles don’t just occur outside the gates either. Some have happened very close to home. States Hyland, “The day before I was scheduled to move into a housing unit on base, it was blown up in a mortar attack. Two medics should’ve been there at the time, but instead they were working at the clinic.”
Having grown up in a missionary family, Hyland is accustomed to adventure. After graduating from Milo Adventist Academy in 1988, Hyland continued to serve as a student missionary to Thailand. In 1994, he graduated from Walla Walla College, and for about ten years he has continued to serve others via the Army.
Hyland always welcomes cards and mail from back home. If you would like to send a note to him, please address your correspondence to: Stephen Hyland; E-CO 701st MSB OIF2; FOB Speicher; APO, AE 09392.
Captain Stephen Hyland receives a hug from his mother, Patty, during a recent vacation from Iraq.
