The Sandmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group

This just in from my Mom, a die-hard Mets fan. As all Mets fans know, "Enter Sandman" is the entrance music for their closer Billy Wagner.

That song is something Wagner has in common with his friend MAJ Warren Kadrmas of the 332nd EMG in Balad:

"Basically a lot of the special forces personnel play 'Enter Sandman' as their theme song," Kadrmas said by telephone from the base. "We play it in the O.R. a lot. It's kind of always going around. Some people have referred to us as 'The Sandmen' just because we're always deployed to the desert environment."

The two of them came up with an idea. Not only is MAJ Kadrmas badly outnumbered by Yankees and Red Sox fans in Iraq, but he also wanted something to give his patients before they are medevac'd to Germany for further medical treatment.

Yesterday the Mets sent a shipment of specially designed T-shirts to Iraq - with a picture of Wagner delivering a pitch, the "Sandmen" nickname, and "332nd Expeditionary Medical Group."

MAJ Kadrmas adds:

"Obviously they lose their uniforms because of the trauma and things they've experienced," Kadrmas said. "People who don't have clothes to wear for the other trip, we have some things for them to wear, but I thought that would be a nice thing to send them off with as well on their way through surgery and to Germany."

Billy Wagner models one of the T-shirts he'll be sending to his friend, Air Force Major Warren Kadrmas, who performs surgery at Balad Air Base in Iraq, often to the tune of 'Enter Sandman.'
As my Mom would say, Let's Go Mets!

Oh, and she wanted me to remind you all they won (almost swept!!) the recent Subway Series against the hated Yankees ;-)

Reöated: Balad: First Step of a Long Journey Home