Summer 2010 - STATES - The National Guard

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Service Member Spotlight Army Spc. Jessie HernandezCruz, a medic assigned to the 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Massachusetts Army National Guard displays some of the equipment in her aid bag March 20, 2010. HernandezCruz was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for assisting a Soldier during a medical emergency on a weekend drill. By Army Staff Sgt. James C. Lally HHC, 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade READING, Mass. – An Army medic received the Army Achievement Medal for assisting a Soldier during a medical emergency on Camp Curtis Guild here March 20, 2010. Army Spc. Jessie HernandezCruz, a medic assigned to the 26th Maneuver Enhancement 4 Minuteman Summer 2010 Poised Under Pressure: Medic Recognized for Providing Emergency Medical Care Brigade, Massachusetts Army National Guard, was recognized for her efforts in stabilizing a fellow Soldier who experienced a medical emergency during a drill weekend. Medics are primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment, limited primary care and health protection, and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. On the battlefield, they administer emergency medical treatment to casualties. Whether or not they have any experience is of little consequence when an emergency arises and a fellow Soldier is counting on them for help. Impressed by HernandezCruz’s actions, Staff Sgt. Melissa A. Souza, a military police operations sergeant with the 26th, recommended her for the award. Souza said, “I thought it was important to recognize her because although she is a medic and helping a Soldier in need may be considered her duty, she’s young and this was her first real-world medical emergency. Helping a stranger is easy; helping someone you know can be nerve-racking and sometimes downright scary. She stayed calm, did what she had to do, and maintained control of the situation in spite of the chaos. It was very impressive to see a 19-year-old Soldier work under that kind of pressure.” When faced with a distressing situation like a medical emergency, time and again people react by calling for a first responder. Recollecting the incident, Souza said, “A young Soldier came running out of the latrine screaming that someone was not OK. I remember it becoming very chaotic. I grabbed the first medic I saw, which was Spc. HernandezCruz, while I ran out to my vehicle to grab my medical aid bag. She came “I thought it was important to recognize her because although she is a medic and helping a Soldier in need may be considered her duty, she’s young and this was her first real-world medical emergency. Helping a stranger is easy, helping someone you know can be nerve-racking and sometimes downright scary. She stayed calm, did what she had to do, and maintained control of the situation in spite of the chaos. It was very impressive to see a 19-year-old Soldier work under that kind of pressure.” – Staff Sgt. Melissa A. Souza, 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade to me without hesitation, and I directed her to the male latrine. She ran in and immediately took control of a very chaotic situation. Spc. HernandezCruz and other medics were able to stabilize the Soldier to be transported to a medical facility,” said Souza. Recognizing the magnitude of HernandezCruz’s efforts, Souza said, “When these kinds of situations happen, I think it is important to remember the training we receive and be able to act with calmness and poise in a time of chaos. As noncommissioned officers, we are trained to stay calm in order to keep our Soldiers calm and make good decisions. This skill is not something that is taught in a day; it is learned over time. For a Soldier who graduated basic training and advanced individual training only a year ago, it was impressive to see this young Soldier act as if she has been doing this her entire life. She will make a great noncommissioned officer, and it was my pleasure to recommend her for the Army Achievement Medal,” said Souza. When the incident happened, HernandezCruz was on a break between briefings during her unit’s February drill. When the routine training event was disrupted by a call for help, HernandezCruz assessed the situation calmly before reacting. She recalled, “I heard someone call for a medic, and I looked around to see if anyone was responding because I was unsure whether it was an actual emergency. Then whoever it was said that it was not fake and that it was a real-life emergency,” said HernandezCruz. Like many other medics, HernandezCruz was modest about taking credit for what she viewed as just doing her job; however, she was apparently moved enough to set out on a path that may have changed the course of her own life. Discussing the event and her plans for the future, HernandezCruz said, “I’m proud of myself even though I feel like I shouldn’t be rewarded because I’m a medic, but I’m happy about it. It was the first time I had to respond to something like this and it made me more confident in my abilities. I know what I want to do now; I want to study medicine as a civilian career.” By reacting quickly to conduct her mission, Spc. HernandezCruz lived up to the tradition of the 26th “Yankee Division,” a tradition reflected in her unit’s motto by always being “Ready to move!” ✯
Senior Airman Travis Miller By Senior Airman Matt Benedetti, 104th Public Affairs BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. – Senior Airman Travis Miller joined the Air Force later in life than most of his colleagues in the medals technology shop at the 104th. Being a 29-year-old enlistee is never easy. However, Miller had always been keenly aware of a family military legacy that ultimately influenced his decision and compelled him to enlist in his grandfather’s former unit. Miller’s grandfather, Tech. Sgt. Charlie Samson, was a tail gunner on the B-24 “Miss Behave” during World War II. A veteran of several dangerous missions, including the raid on the Ploesti oilfields in Romania in 1943, Samson also served as a Guardsman at the 104th from 1956 to 1977. Miller, a metals technology craftsman, has been a unit member for close to three years. His duties include the manufacture and repair of equipment metal parts using conventional machining and welding methods. Miller enjoys his work. “The opportunity to complete so many different types of aircraft repairs and supporting other shops allows the F-15 to be ready when called upon. I get to meet unit members throughout the various squadrons on base,” he said. The earnest Airman is grateful to Master Sgt. Peter Lupien who became a mentor to Miller before retiring. “He guided me in the right direction to help me become an all around experienced machinist,” he said. The Becket native is very active on base and is a member of the 104th FW Crash Damages Disabled Recovery Team. As a cub master for a local Cub Scout Troop, he devotes considerable time to philanthropic efforts. ✯ The Nation’s First 5
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Page 9 and 10: Massachusetts National Guard Gives
Page 11 and 12: Story and photos by Air Force Capt.
Page 14 and 15: 101st FA Medic Provides Care at Car
Page 16 and 17: NationalGuard Celebrates the 373rd
Page 18 and 19: In the Spirit of Giving By Sgt. 1st
Page 20 and 21: Friend of 102nd Continues Model Air
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Page 25 and 26: artners for Prosperity Story and ph
Page 27 and 28: Celtics and Soldiers Host Black His
Page 29 and 30: Marksmanship Training with the Afgh

Summer 2010 - STATES - The National Guard

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