Barb Woodruff says she is grateful for the smallest pleasures in life after spending the past five months in Afghanistan.

The Warrenton teacher and girls varsity basketball coach returned home from a stint in the armed services on June 4.

Woodruff, a member of the Air Force Reserve, was deployed to serve her second tour of duty on Jan. 6 as an air medic for Operation Enduring Freedom.

She served her first tour of duty in 2003, when combat first began on the war front in Afghanistan.

But Woodruff says this mission was far more intense. She and her medic team served 23 recovery missions to evacuate wounded soldiers.

“We were a lot more busy this time,” said Woodruff. “We flew twice the amount of missions and the patient load was much heavier with fewer injuries.”

The coaching veteran has spent the past few weeks catching up with friends and family. She left her role as basketball coach during midseason and says she carried a Warrenton Warriors and St. Louis Cardinals flag on each of her missions.

Woodruff was glad to be back in the basketball gym for a week of camp, no longer having to fear for her life.

It was a reality she faced each day at the base headquarters in Balgram.

“When were taking a patient on the plane, we would take fire from the ground,” said Woodruff. “Being on the base, the locals are more aggressive and are attacking bases now.”

While the everyday routine was physically taxing and inflicted an emotional toll, there were sources of escape for Woodruff and her crewmates. Modern-day technology such as Facebook and Skype video conferencing allowed her to stay connected with family and students in Warrenton.

“It’s great because on a monthly basis I was able to chat with my parents and friends,” said Woodruff. “That’s one of the things that keeps morale up. You don’t feel like you’re so alone.”

It helped her tolerate life in a 6-by-6 foot barracks with limited amenities. Between missions, Woodruff was able to go to the gym or watch television.

Downtime was minimal, and the medic team constantly had to be prepared to launch for mission. Woodruff says the crew would have one to three hours to prepare for flight, depending on the type of mission — alpha (immediate) or bravo (delayed).

Woodruff’s job was to stabilize or treat the wounded soldiers during the transport process in the back of either a C-17 or C-130 medic plane.

“A mission could take anywhere from eight-16 hours, depending on the stops and type of patients,” explained Woodruff. “You always have to be extremely alert and ready to go.”

Woodruff encounted the locals regularly and says the reception wasn’t always one of appreciation.

“We got to be kind of close with some of the local (merchants),” said Woodruff. “Some are so grateful for our presence, and others absolutely despise us.”

She says there were frequent reminders of how privileged life in America is in comparison. Woodruff became acquainted with a teacher in Afghanistan through a school drive held by Warrior Ridge Elementary in Warrenton.

“The kids were so excited to get anything, even pencils and paper, because they are so deprived” said Woodruff.

Students collected balls, toys, socks, shoes and other materials to send to children in the Middle East.

When Woodruff delivered the goods to the teacher, she learned that he makes just $1 per day.

“Oh, my goodness,” responded Woodruff, who says she was challenged by the teacher to guess his salary. “I figured $10-20 per day, and he said, ‘No, guess lower...’ ”

Children weren’t the only ones to receive aid from Woodruff’s faithful followers back home.

Warrenton-based soldier relief organization G4U (Goodies for U) sent care packages to Woodruff during her stay.

“I must have gotten 50 or 60 bags,” said Woodruff. “There was no way I could use it all, so I sent it down range to the other personnel. They were really grateful.”

Like in her first tour of duty, Woodruff says her attitude toward life changes after returning home from a mission.

“Just being able to go to the grocery store and pick out what I want to eat or use real silverware, those are simple things we take for granted,” said Woodruff.

It’s why she was so relieved when her unit’s plane touched down on its final mission: the flight home to Baltimore.

“When we got off the plane there was a big reception line,” said Woodruff. “It gave me chills, because you know this really is a big deal.”