Story pick: Afghanistan's first responders

Nearly 5,000 Americans have died in Iraq. That's more than 2,000 more in Afghanistan. Grievous losses indeed. But still nothing like the number from Vietnam, which stands at more than 58,000.

Service members in Iraq and Afghanistan are surviving wounds that would have killed their counterparts in previous conflicts. That's because of huge advances in battlefield medical treatment. Medics can get to the wounded in minutes, start treatment and get them back to an operating table--often within an hour. It's almost like calling 911 here at home.

In a wonderfully detailed piece, David Brown gives us an inside look at the Afghanistan's first responders and shows us how they are saving lives.