Family man, doctor and legislator ready for his tour of duty in Iraq

At a time most physicians his age are expanding their practice and building their nest eggs, Dr. Joe Heck is preparing for war.

Heck, an emergency room doctor at University Medical Center, is probably best-known in the press as the Republican state senator from District 5. As if that weren't enough to keep the 46-year-old father of three busy, he's also a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve with more than 16 years of experience.

Heck will put that experience to the test beginning Jan. 26, when he's scheduled to leave Southern Nevada for Fort Benning, Ga., for processing before starting a 90-day tour of duty at a combat support hospital in Iraq.

In a sense, he's been preparing for this moment the past 16 years since volunteering for Reserve duty in 1991 during Desert Storm. When Heck joined the Reserve, he of course knew there was a chance he would be deployed into a war zone. As I heard the doctor speak Thursday about his motivations for military service, I came to believe the Army had the right man for a difficult job.

Here is a fellow who was disappointed he didn't get a chance to help out during the first Iraq conflict.

"By the time my paperwork was done, Desert Storm was over," he says.

In addition to two previous deployments -- the first to a medical receiving facility in Mannheim, Germany, in 1996 during the Kosovo conflict, the second to the Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2003 during Operation Double Eagle following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- he's spent much of his free time as a physician observer at military medical centers. He's trained in the treatment of chemical, biological and radiological injuries, and in recent months has prepped for treating traumatic blast wounds of the sort caused by devastating roadside bombs.

The question a skeptic might reasonably ask is: Why would a guy with a family and a couple of successful careers put his life on hold to fly into harm's way?

Heck simply replies, "When 'The Star Spangled Banner' plays, I'm the kind of guy who gets a tear in his eye and a chill up his spine. I've always had a desire to give something back. I love this country and the freedom we enjoy. I'm just looking for another way to serve."

Some of his colleagues have wondered about the money he'll lose while serving his country. Heck isn't worried. In anticipation of the lost income, for months he's contributed money into a "mobilization account," so his family won't suffer.

He also knows the facts. Iraq is a dangerous place. By a conservative count, 42 Nevadans in the military have died there since the start of the war.

"If my being there can prevent No. 43, my 90 days will have been worth it," he says. "That's what I signed up for. I think it's every American's duty to do what they can to support our troops. In relation to what everyone else is doing, 90 days isn't all that much. I'm just glad to do my part."

Heck reports that his wife, Lisa, is supportive. Daughters Monica and Chelsa are on board. Son Joseph III probably will undergo a period of adjustment. When told of his father's upcoming sojourn, his son said, "It's like going to Carson City."

Well, yes and no.

But that provides a segue into Heck's other battle -- re-election in District 5. He's bracing for a brawl to keep his seat.

In the interim, Lisa and some volunteers will take calls from constituents. He'll try to keep in touch but knows communication won't be easy. (And using a military e-mail for political purposes would violate the Hatch Act.)

Heck won't be able to do much campaigning, but tries to keep his sense of humor and political perspective.

"When I get back," he says, "I think I'll keep the body armor."

It might come in handy during the campaign.

ON THE BOULEVARD: Longtime GOP consultant Jim Denton continues to recuperate from open-heart surgery. ... Veteran attorney and current State Bar of Nevada President Nancy Allf has announced she's running for the newly created District Court Department 25 judgeship.

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