BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Orondus Williams, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron surgical technician, puts a surgical kit into a sterilizer for 30 minutes here, March 19. The sterilization clinic is responsible for keeping all Air Force Theater Hospital tools sterile. The hospital staff treats wounded and sick coalition force servicemembers, as well as local citizens and third country nationals. Sergeant Williams is deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- The medical tool sterilization process is conducted in two steps. Tools are first placed in an ultrasonic bath and then are wrapped and placed in the sterilizer. The 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group runs the Air Force Theater Hospital here and provides a wide range of medical services to Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines throughout the Iraqi theater of operations. The hospital is the equivalent of a level one trauma center; more than 1,200 patients are seen by medical personnel each month, of which more than 650 are trauma cases. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Staff Sgt. Orondus Williams, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron surgical technician, wraps up an Air Force Theater Hospital surgical kit before placing it in a sterilizer here, March 19. The 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group runs the Air Force Theater Hospital here and provides a wide range of medical services to Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines throughout the Iraqi theater of operations. Sergeant Williams is deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- Medical instruments used at the Air Force Theater Hospital here are pulled out of the ultrasonic bath wait to be packaged up to be placed in a sterilizer. The ultrasonic bath is used to pull any partials, fluid or debris off of the tool before sterilization begins. The hospital staff treats more than 1,200 coalition forces members, third country nationals and local citizens each month. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Senior Airman Julianne Showalter)