Duke nurse Frank Walsh, far left, on patrol.

Durham, NC - Destruction from decades of war and poverty surrounded Duke nurse Frank Walsh when he arrived in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan.

A lieutenant with the U.S. Navy Reserve,Walsh was deployed last year as part of a Navy Medical Service Corps training team that included health care workers, logistics experts and administrators from across the country.

While embedded for a year with an Afghan National Army unit, Walsh and his team served as mentors for Afghan doctors, created a bilingual PowerPoint training guide for Afghan medics and built a small clinic to treat wounded American, Afghan and NATO soldiers.

"Many Afghan doctors' educations had been interrupted under the Taliban regime," said Walsh, 54, who returned from duty this summer. "Their skills and technology were lacking in many ways, but the Afghan military personnel were very open and friendly, and seemed thankful for our assistance."

Walsh is among 36 Duke staff and faculty who have taken military leave from Duke since 2004. Duke's military leave policy allows benefits-eligible employees to take time for military training and active duty assignments and return to work within 90 days of military discharge.

"Many of our employees come back with even more talents and experience useful in their roles at Duke," said Dexter Nolley, director of Duke's Staff & Labor Relations. "With Veterans Day this month, it's an ideal time for us to reflect upon the dedication of staff and faculty who have served our country."

After returning to Duke, staff and faculty receive a job equal in status, benefits and pay in accordance with federal and state laws. They also are credited with eligibility and benefit accruals.

For Walsh, feeling secure in the field about the job waiting at Duke was a relief, even though he missed his wife, Coleen. "I was able to serve my country without worrying about my regular job," he said. "That lifts a big weight off someone's shoulders."

While on leave, Walsh helped create the first medical records system for the Afghan National Army. "Instead of it being a complicated computer program, we taught them how to use Excel spreadsheets and forms they could print," he said. "We were determined to leave that portion of the world a better place."

Walsh returned to Duke in July as a nurse recruiter with Duke University Hospital. Supervisors and Duke Human Resources were supportive, he said, providing "clarity and certainty about what I could expect when I returned. I knew Duke would stand by its word, even though I've heard of other situations in North Carolina where people in the military had trouble returning to their jobs."

Watching a New GI Bill

Many Duke students have benefited from the GI Bill since its inception 64 years ago. A new, more generous version of the bill takes effect in August 2009. To read more about the bill's legacy, click here.