JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Four Advanced Individual Training Soldiers training at the U. S. Army Medical Center of Excellence to become 68W combat medics recently helped a fallen man at the Fort Sam Houston Post Exchange.
Pfc. Blair Sutcliffe, Pfc. Jalun Taylor, Pfc. Jaden King, and Pfc. Ryan Jones, all four assigned to Company C, 232nd Medical Battalion, stepped in to help a U.S. Army retiree who had lost his balance and fallen Aug. 29 at the PowerZone section of the Exchange. The four Soldiers came to the man’s aid and stayed with him until emergency responders arrived.
Lt. Col. Dennis Segui, 187th Medical Battalion Commander, was also at the Exchange when the man fell. Segui, a former 68W combat medic himself, helped the fallen man and was aided by the four Soldiers.
Segui wanted to recognize them for their selfless act. He presented the Soldiers with commander’s coins at a ceremony in front of the company. The 187th Medical Battalion is one of four battalions under the 32nd Medical Brigade.
“In a deployed environment, you are the confidence that is within the warfighter, because knowing that you are amongst them, gives them the courage to do what they do best, which is to place themselves in harm’s way in support of the mission,” Segui said. “These four medics answered the call, in garrison, and demonstrated the moral courage to be there when no one else responded.”
“At first I was trying to figure out what was happening when I heard a scream and then honestly instinct took over,” Taylor said. “We went over to the man and tried to help him, even though we weren’t finished training. My battle buddies and I tried to do something instead of letting just him sit there.”
“We saw him fall and wasn’t getting up, obviously hurt, and we all just reacted,” Jones added. “Two of us went to his help to make sure he was OK and staying awake while King and I went to get help.”
“They had no idea what the situation was. Most people would be scared,” said Staff Sgt. Samantha Frank, the Soldiers’ drill sergeant, expressing her pride in her troops. “These Soldiers haven’t completed their training, they are probably uncertain of their skills, but they weren’t scared. They acted when they were needed and that made me very proud.”
The fallen retiree, who was helped by emergency responders, is reportedly doing well, thanks in part to the quick action of the four future combat medics.