Sergeant wins Vanguard Award for heroism

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Staff Sgt. Keith Stevens is the Air Force's 2005 recipient of the annual Vanguard Award for heroic action.

Sergeant Stevens is a vehicle operator dispatcher currently assigned to Osan Air Base, South Korea.

The award, sponsored by the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, recognizes a noncommissioned officer from each military service who has performed a heroic act, on or off duty, which resulted in saving lives or the prevention of serious injury.

Sergeant Stevens displayed decisive action and bravery that directly resulted in his convoy completing its mission to the Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During an aggressive insurgent assault, Sergeant Stevens' unwavering effort drove the enemy to retreat, which permitted evacuation of convoy troops, witnesses said. During the peak of the battle, he directed convoy forces to retrieve body armor and assume defensive positions.

Sergeant Stevens’ nomination for the award states he evacuated a Soldier from direct hostile fire; kept him calm and located shrapnel wounds in the Soldier's right arm. He immobilized him and applied pressure to reduce the bleeding, which resulted in saving his arm.

He then responded to loud cries from another injured Soldier about 33 feet away. Sergeant Stevens identified the second Soldier with shrapnel in his left torso, applied pressure to reduce the loss of blood, then quickly sealed and dressed the wound. His decisive actions made the difference between life and death, preventing the wounded Soldier from going into shock.

Then he saw a third Soldier lying face down and immediately took action. He quickly assessed the situation, treated the area around the object protruding in the Soldier's lower extremities. He was able to stabilize and keep him still to prevent further penetration of the shrapnel.

Sergeant Stevens' total disregard for his own safety epitomizes selflessness, officials said. His quick response in treating critically wounded Soldiers while under fire directly resulted in the saving of three lives.

The award will be presented to Sergeant Stevens by the NCOA. (Courtesy of Air Force Personnel Center News Service)