NCO's training proves worth for accident victims

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Barrett
  • 8th Air Force Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFPN) --  An NCO attending a deployment training course at Fort Eustis, Va., became a hero recently when she used her self-aid and buddy care experience to tend to several people injured in an automobile accident. 

Staff Sgt. Brenda Johnson, the 8th Air Force manpower and personnel readiness NCO in charge here, was the first responder to a two-vehicle accident with injuries while temporarily assigned to Fort Eustis for training. She is credited with critical first-aid care to a woman with a broken leg and her son, who suffered severe head trauma in the accident. She also stabilized the vehicle driver and a toddler.

During her lunch break on the first training day at Fort Eustis, Sergeant Johnson returned to her off-post quarters to pick up training material for her afternoon class. While on the local Interstate, she witnessed an event she said dramatically changed her understanding and appreciation of her previous SABC training.

"While driving along, I saw the worst accident I have ever seen," she said. "I saw (two cars) crisscross each other. The white car hit the center cement barrier wall and stopped. But the green car went from the right lane to the far left lane, spin a few times and hit the right barrier head on. At that point I knew that I had to do something."

Sergeant Johnson called 911 to report the accident. Because the accident happened in the opposite lane, Sergeant Johnson exited the Interstate, looped back and returned to the scene to provide assistance. 

There she observed injured people on the side of the road, one adult female and her two boys ages 10 and 6.

"I immediately examined the youngest boy and noticed (a) gash on his neck. I gave him a paper towel for him to hold and stop the bleeding," she said.

The woman started to become hysterical and begged for someone to check the older boy.

"I didn't see any blood on him, but I noticed too much blood on the woman when it became quite apparent that she had a broken leg; I saw the bone sticking out," she said.

Sergeant Johnson calmed the woman down and gave her some paper towels to apply pressure to her open wound.  Then she went to check the condition of the other boy. That's when she noticed the bump on his head.

"I noticed a two-to-three inch lump on his forehead so I asked him to open his eyes just to see if he (would) respond and he did," she explained. "However, when he opened his eyes I knew something was wrong as his pupils looked quite different."

She kicked into action by stabilizing his head and neck, then got some ice from her drink cup to place on his head.

"After applying the ice from a cup of soda, I asked the boy several questions to make sure he wouldn't fall asleep," she said. "The boy's head began to swell due to internal head trauma."

As Sergeant Johnson continued to work on the three victims, the male adult driver finally appeared, disoriented but without injury. She got him to relax and sit down in the grass.

Not long after, an emergency medical service team arrived and Sergeant Johnson quickly briefed them on the situation and gave her assessment of who needed help in order of severity.

"The paramedic asked me to assist by keeping the boy's head straight and not moving it. Without any hesitation I did, it felt like second nature to me," she said.

Sergeant Johnson was interviewed by an officer from the Virginia State Police to determine what she had witnessed as the ambulance drove four victims to the local hospital.

"She did an amazing job in assisting EMS at the accident scene and they were impressed on how she handled all the folks who were injured," said Virginia State Police Trooper Jessie Dennis. "I thought Sergeamt Johnson was on a medical team at Langley Air Force Base (in nearby Hampton, Va.)"

As quick as the accident unfolded, it was over and Sergeant Johnson headed back to Fort Eustis for the remainder of her afternoon class. She briefed the senior Air Force officer in the class, Maj. Joe Mercurio, of what had occurred over the lunch break.

"What amazed me is that Sergeant Johnson was in Virginia for the very first time, witnessed this accident occur on the opposite side of a divided busy highway, found her way to the next exit, and still came back around to the accident scene as the first responder," said Major Mercurio, who was a former state police officer. "She did an amazing job of being aware in new surroundings, reacting in the manner that she did, and providing care to injured people in an effective means for the responding medical squad."

Sergeant Johnson's actions were no surprised to her boss, Maj. Eric M. Moody.

"She is very thorough and empathetic in her job," Major Moody said. "She treats people the way she wants to be treated, as if she's going through the same thing they are.

"She takes a lot of pride in her work and makes sure others are taken care of," he said.

Sergeant Johnson credits the 8th Air Force SABC instructor, Master Sgt. Kevin Mott, with motivating her actions.

"Sergeant Mott really makes sure his students take Self-Aid and Buddy Care seriously," she said. "I thank him for giving me the knowledge and the confidence to do something like this."

As for the injured people she helped that day, the male adult driver and youngest boy were checked and released that day. The adult female passenger had surgery later that evening on her leg, and was released later in the week to recover at home. The older boy was transferred to the local children's hospital for observation. He is doing well and should be released soon for a full recovery. 

The recovery of the victims speaks well for the training received in the Air Force, Major Moody said. 

"We tell our Airmen we will need these skills in combat but this situation shows that is valuable outside of combat," Major Moody said. "We are 24/7 Airmen and our training can help those we are serving to protect -- in this case, it was children."

(Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service. Maj. Joe Mercurio, ACC Logisitcs, contributed to this story.)

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