Wingmen save fellow Airman's life at Kunsan Published Nov. 16, 2007 By Master Sgt. Sean P. Houlihan 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFPN) -- When Pacific Air Forces officials sent out guidance for all the Pacific bases to have a Wingman Day, no one could have thought that during the day three wingmen would come to the aid of another Airman saving his life. At approximately 8:40 a.m. Nov. 13, as Kunsan Air Base members were gathering in front of the fitness center for a commander's call, Staff Sgt. Jamie Hogsett and Airman 1st Class Jordan Deese saw an Airman collapse about 10 feet away from them. Without hesitation the two came to the aid of the fallen Airman. "I was just talking with Sergeant Hogsett when I noticed the Airman fall to the ground," said Airman Deese, a client service administrator in the 8th Fighter Wing Inspector General's Office. "When we got to the Airmen he was already convulsing and had a rapid heart beat," said Sergeant Hogsett, a client service administrator for the 8th FW command staff. "We knew we needed to turn him on his side to prevent him from choking." As Sergeant Hogsett and Airman Deese began to care for the Airman, screams came across the crowd for medical help. It was the second call for help that got the attention of Master Sgt. Renard Barnes, the 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron first sergeant. "I didn't see the Airman go down. I was just talking and heard people holler for medics, so I handed off the guidon and went to help," said the first sergeant who spent 20-years in the medical career field. "When I got there, Col. Rose Layman (the 8th Medical Group commander) had begun to assess the Airman. He was turning ash blue and had no pulse. We started cardiopulmonary resuscitation and got the automated external defibrillators ready. After a few minutes of CPR, we shocked him and then repeated CPR." As soon as Sergeant Barnes and Colonel Layman were on scene, Airman Deese and Sergeant Hogsett stepped away from the situation after making sure an ambulance was dispatched to the location and the crowd was moved out of the way. Within a couple of minutes of the incident, Airmen from the 8th Medical Group were on scene providing oxygen to the Airman and began the process of transporting him to a local Gunsan City hospital. This was not the first time to respond to an incident of this nature for Sergeant Barnes and Airman Deese. Airman Deese said he recalls seeing his grandfather in a similar situation and knew he was in distress and remembered the helpless feeling it gave him. Sergeant Barnes said he has performed CPR or critical care more times than he would like to recount. But this experience was different. "When you are a practicing medical technician and that is your job, you're in the mindset something could happen and normally it occurs in a controlled environment of a hospital," he said. "Now it is my duty to take care of the morale, welfare, discipline of the Airmen as a first sergeant. To be put in that situation; it's a different mindset." The three Airmen don't see themselves as heroes or doing something that another Airman or good wingman wouldn't have done under the same situation. "Everyone has been thanking me and Colonel Layman, but these two individuals deserve credit as well. It was no one individual that made the difference. It was a team effort and that is what the wingman concept is all about," Sergeant Barnes said. "I couldn't be more proud of how junior Airmen conducted themselves in a calm and focused manner under serious circumstances." The Airman has been awake and responsive since the afternoon of the incident. Base officials said they expect the Airman to recover fully. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page