1n Capt. Sandeep Bhagat

Pack small, pack light, cake only what you need, know where everythi ng is so that you can reach for it in the dark, repack everything. As Captain Dr Sandeep Bhagat was crossing off the list of things he needed to cake to his deployment in Afghanistan, the mundane was being mulled over with some real concerns Is it safe? WiU the family manage? Who will cake care of them? \,Vhat i f ?

All of these were very valid questio ns for a 37-year-old happily married father of two children who chose to join the Australian Army, and was off to do a stint in the war zone. As a qualified medical practitioner and palliative care specialist, Capt Bhagat was required co treat military per sonnel, civilians and Afghans in Tarin Kowt for two months, followed b y a four month stint recentl y in the UAE and Kabul.

Ir m ay be difficult for many to understand, but Capt Bhagat was glad tO go there. Experiences like these were the .reason be jo ined the Army Rese r ve.

"!vfy deployments gave me an enormous sense of adventure and a great opportunity to work with people from all walks of life," said Capt Bhagat as he explained the reasons behind his readiness to work in tlus poten ciaJ!y hazardous envtronme n t. "I bave always had a penchant for uniforms, it could be the influence of m y grand father who served in the Ind ian Army in World War n, or m y relatives who chose the army as a profession"

Bei ng a Punjabi son, his inspiration comes from the Sikh Gurus, espec iall y determination and the sense of sacrtfice for others.

"It could also be due to the rraining l received as a cadet, in the prestigious Sainik School in Kapurthala, Punjab. I have always wanted to serve the nation I migrated ro Australia 12 years ago and went th.rough the initial settling-in period, bur I always knew l would end up in this uniform that is m y pride and joy.

1t is m y privilege to be able co the se rve my adopted countr y both as a practicing doctor and as an Army Captain," added Capt Bhagat with conviction.

"Like so man y hard working lndi ans in Australia, our deeds bring respect co o ur motherland as well as the country we call our home now," he sca red.

As I spoke co Capt Bhagat in the comfort of his lounge, he came across as an everyday family man who likes to play cricket with his two sons. As his story unfolded 1 saw the grit and determination that earned him the name 'RocketPocket' from hi s army mates.

"Mos t of the men I work with are bigger and taller than me," he said disarmingly, adding, " I am not in the least b it daunted by tlus, though! I have a very srrong physical Jimess regin1e char holds me in good stead along with a seriously competitive streak that I developed during my days LO Saini.k Schoo l. I rend to be the first to clear most of the obstacle courses designed to test us, hence the nickname".

Capt Bhagat, who has just remrned from the Ivf.iddle East Area of Operation of the Australian Defe nce Force (ADF), hails from the state of Punjab in India. He was born in Jalandhar and went to a boarding school in Kapurthala at the age of 10, going through strict mili ta1.-y regimental schooling for the next 7 years. After his schooling be comp le ted his MBBS from Government 1v[edical College in Amritsar, and w ithin five month s of acquiring his medical degree , Capt B h agat left India to live in Hamilton, New Zealand where his bride Harvinder (Rosy) bad family connection s TI1e young doctor was keen on doi ng medical research and M elbour n e appealed co him as a place chat offered more potentllll in the medical field as welJ as a mul ticultural environment.

Capt Bhagat com pleted his GP training and got his first break as an advanced academic registrar at Monash U niveq;icy, a prestigious funded position towards medical academics and research. He started his own practice in Drouin in West Gippsland. Bue as he always had a passion for caring fo r the frail and elderly, Capt Bhagat left general practice to undertake specialist physici an training in palliative care.

"The more you do palliative care, the more you love it It is a very nob le and humbling experience. I got interested in palliative care after a visit co an aged care centre as a GP. There I met a 94- year-old man from Br itain whose inspiring storr changed my mindset," he continued.

"This retired .Major who had served in the British Army at Amritsar reminded me of m y grandfather. The genuine wishes and b lessings drnt you get from the people who are affected and their families are dungs that money can never buy," s hared Capt Bhagat who is currently working as a Consultant in Palliati,7 e Medicine-Eastern Health and as a Sessional Primary Care Consultant in Dandenong Hospi tal ED.

Talking about his recent dep loyment in Afghanistan, Capt Bhagat claimed that bulJets and bombs don't discriminate.

"A.s a combat doctor, om skills are required to cure a common cold or simpl e ailmen t, to serious blast in juries. IEDs or home-made destructive devices cau se injuries to everyone, including their own people. le is horrific co see the destruction espec iaUy when ic affects local children an d women," said Capt Bhagat as he shared his personal encounters during his time in Tar in Kowt previous ly, and in the Middle Eas t and Kabul recently.

Describing bis soujourn in Afghanistan Cape Bhagat said, " I will not go into specifics however in Afghanistan a typical day for us was very busy. Work days began at 0530 witl1 morning PT, and we would fini s h nor before 2300. As a doctor my day was fiUed with common ge neral practice type issues, along with creating war injuries in volving locals and coalition soldiers. W/e mainl y stayed in the camp bur we had opportunities co go out as weU. Afghani workers on the base were very respecrti.1! especialJy when th ey l earned I could communicate in Urdu. They have a special regard for Punjabis and Sikhs My leisure hours were fiUed with exercise and more exercise, or chatting with m y ream mates. l spo ke to m y family once a week, sometimes more".

And what was his most memorable e._x"Perience?

"There were lots of experiences char: I cannot elaborate on, however the most memorable ones were when I could s erve our bard working diggers".

A question that he is often asked is, was he ever scared for bi s life?

"My answer to that is, if I was, I wouldn't have gone for the second time and I wouldn't have offered m ys elf for the third rour "

He added after a thoughtful pause, "I do understand the dangers, though".

With an impressive list of credentials co hi s name, Capt Bhagat was awarded the .Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition .Against Terrorism (ICAT) Clasp, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and NATO Medal with International Securi ty Assistance Force Clasp by t he ADF between 201 1- 2012.

Capt Bhagat has served on the board of many medical and educational bodies and advisory commircees. Desp ite all his commitments, he is also involved in improving the care of patients dying w itl1 advanced w'U1cers in lndia, as a member of Australasia Palliative Link (A PLl)'s Ha.mrahi Project. As part of their commitment to the cause, participating doccors provide free mentorship to Indian doctors caring for patients with advance cancers and ill nesses in India. The)' also hose visiting doctors from India to gain experience in managing pain management of advanced cancers

When asked how be gees the time and energ)' co be i nvolved with defence, medicine, altruism and stilJ find time for family, Capt Bhagat shrugs philosophicalJy. ·'J believe in the ancient adage: 'Do all the good you can, by aU the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places yo u can, at al] the times you can, to everyone you can'. As a doctor I am fortunate enough to be able to offer comfort, and as a defence personnel I am brave enough to stand against chalJenge and controversy These to me are the ultimate measure of a man in uniform, and that is why if I am offered another opportunity to serve in Afglrnoistao the amwer will be 'yes' al1 over again," he says confidently.