Introduction

Welcome to my new blog! With a title as exciting and original as "Kelli in Japan", I can only imagine the lofty expectations I've created regarding my ability to keep you entertained as I write about my life as one of the CVW-5 flight surgeons in Atsugi, Japan. My training in writing during medical school ensures this will be the next best bathroom reading material since the latest article about Neisseria gonorrhoeae treatment resistance to cefixime... and I don't say that lightly!

(my image of N. gonorrhoeae for your pleasure)

But wait! Where exactly is Atsugi? I know this was probably your first question before you wondered what the heck "CVW" (acronyms!) and "cefixime" meant, but press on and all will be revealed:

It's on the main island and about an hour away from Tokyo by train.

Moving on... After realizing that most of my non-military peers really do think I perform surgery while flying (Haven't you read the studies?? Better outcomes for hernia repair when done in a jet!), I will explain a little more about what it is I will be doing. I'm basically a general practitioner for aircrew, with the added benefit of being REQUIRED to ride in the back of some cool aircraft. I don't know how the Navy gets away with it sometimes... sheesh. In regards to my specific duty as "Carrier Air Wing Flight Surgeon", I will have you read a little blurb I found online (NFS = Naval Flight Surgeon). 

If that wasn't highly motivating yet strangely disquieting, I don't know what is! I mean, how many times can they say it's dangerous? But there's still more...

See that last sentence? "Best in Navy medicine". So there you go. CVW is the abbreviation for "Carrier Air Wing", and the squadrons in it are trained to do their missions while on an aircraft carrier.

And that's all you get until I finally make it over there! Like any good long-term relationship, you and I will have our ups and downs as I struggle to remain consistent in writing posts, but I will promise to do my best to update once every two weeks or so... maybe less when I'm deployed which may be quite frequently.   

Until then, check back in the beginning of February for the next exciting installment!