Veteran of the Week

CONROE, TX -- This week’s Veteran is Barbara Krugler. Ten-Hut!!! She retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army Medical Corp in 2023. She has worked with the VA as a Physician Assistant at the Veterans Health Administration since 2007, and now plys her trade at the VA Conroe Clinic, on South Loop 336 in Conroe. Krugler served with the Iowa Army National Guard, and was deployed from 2010-11 to Afghanistan. Her unit was the famed 34th Infantry Division, or ‘The Red Bulls’, and she was part of the largest deployment of ARNG units from Iowa since World War II. Barbara was a Physician Assistant while in the guard. In Afghanistan she handled ‘sick call,’ as well as triage of wounded soldiers to best determine their route of care. Krugler was stationed at the large Afghan National Army, Gamberi base in the Northeast of the country. There she was training medics for the ANA in April 2011, when a suicide bomber killed a good number of NATO and ANA soldiers, with dozens of injured personnel. Many of which were seriously wounded and a good many needed amputations to survive. And just like any other soldier who has had to deal with the rigors of being in a combat zone, we all have our triggers. For Krugler it’s helicopters. In fact, a medic fell off a helicopter and landed on her during one episode. Barbara is one tough lady, and deserves all of our respect. Congratulations Barbara on being MCNs ‘Veteran of the Week’.