Bombs, Bullets, and Blood | The Insane Reality of a Combat Medic in Ukraine
Sickboy
CBC
4.8 • 524 Ratings
🗓️ 19 March 2025
⏱️ 52 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
When war rages, combat medics are the only thing standing between life and death. Most people will never experience the chaos of a war zone—but for combat medics like Philip, it’s just another day at work. From dodging artillery fire while treating wounded soldiers to sneaking through conflict zones under cover of darkness, this episode takes you inside the high-stakes world of battlefield medicine. Philip shares firsthand accounts of life-saving interventions, near-death moments, and the mental toll of being responsible for lives in the middle of war. Now working as the Director of Operations for Aspen Medical, Philip continues to bring his expertise to the world’s most dangerous places. From Ukraine to Syria, Haiti, Iraq and beyond, he’s seen it all—and he’s here to tell us what it takes to survive in the worst conditions imaginable.
Be sure to catch the full video version of this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCstejCbe9-zvG7nXgf-jwbg
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's becoming pretty clear that U.S. President Donald Trump is ripping up the political |
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| 0:05.8 | And when it comes to what it all means for Canada, well, as they say, it's complicated. |
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| 0:13.8 | Join me, Willie Lowry, and senior Washington correspondents, Paul Hunter and Katie Simpson |
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| 0:30.3 | This is a CBC podcast. |
| 0:33.2 | It was in the middle of the night. We were waiting to pick up a casualty and a truck showed up and it was just stacked with |
| 0:40.8 | the with dead Ukrainians. |
| 0:42.1 | This is Philip, combat medic, humanitarian, and somebody who's seen more life and death |
| 0:47.8 | moments than any of us could ever imagine. |
| 0:51.0 | He's been on the front lines in Ukraine, Haiti, and beyond, risking his life to save |
| 0:57.1 | others. But no amount of training can prepare you for some moments. What we got, artillery |
| 1:02.5 | pretty bad. And then you don't even know it. You just kind of like dive to the ground and then |
| 1:06.9 | you hear the whistle. It's a real quick whistle, then a bang. That's when I just start kind of shaking. |
| 1:11.5 | And I'm like, well, that was close. |
| 1:13.8 | Philip has faced impossible choices. |
| 1:17.0 | Who gets saved? |
| 1:18.5 | Who doesn't make it? |
| 1:19.9 | And what does that do to someone? |
| 1:21.6 | Philip, what is the most terrifying moment you've ever experienced |
... |
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