Army Guardsmen help save Air Force baby

  • Published
  • By Keith Pannell
  • 27th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) --  Army National Guardsmen here did more than just pull gate security duty late July 27 -- they helped save the life of the 8-month-old daughter of an Air Force sergeant.

The infant stopped breathing as the family was passing through a gate on the way to the hospital

“It was probably the most frightening thing I’ve been through in my whole life,” said Staff Sgt. Chad Kalber, the infant’s father.

According to Sergeant Kalber, his daughter had a reaction to something in her baby food.

“This was the first time we had given it to her and she started having difficulties almost immediately. After she continued to have trouble breathing and my wife noticed a rash and hives, I decided to take her to the emergency room downtown,” he said

Rushing to a nearby medical center, the family made it as far as the gate when they noticed the baby had practically stopped breathing. Sergeant Kalber asked the gate guards for help.

Two Army National Guardsmen attached to the 27th Security Forces Squadron, who were standing guard at the gate, leaped into action without hesitation.

Specialist Gabino Barreras was working in the trailer office at the temporary gate when Sergeant Kalber brought the limp child through the door in his arms.

“She was nonresponsive and limp,” said Specialist Barreras. “I took the baby and felt that she had just a faint pulse so I called the law enforcement desk immediately and started chest compressions and rubbing her back.”

The infant regained consciousness once before passing out again and Specialist Barreras called for help from his fellow gate guards.

Sergeant Billy Gonzales ran from the gate and after seeing the situation, started mouth-to-mouth assisted breathing procedures.

“I felt her neck and could tell her throat was swollen shut, so all I could do was help her breath,” said Sergeant Gonzales. “I’ve never done that procedure on an infant before, but I really didn’t have time to think about it.”

Both men, native New Mexicans, say they did not do anything special.

“Anyone wearing a beret (that) night would’ve done what we did,” Specialist Barreras said. “In fact, other troops that were out there had to cover different positions because we still had traffic to take care of. It wasn’t just the two of us that controlled the situation.”

“This is how we, as police officers, serve the community,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Howard, from the 27th SFS. “The Army troops have become so incorporated into the squadron they have really become part of the Cannon community.”

Cannon paramedics and fire department workers arrived shortly after the first call and administered oxygen and continued providing support to the baby. After a few minutes, her breathing became regulated and she opened her eyes and started looking around. She was then taken to the medical center and held overnight. Sergeant Kalber said the infant joined her parents and two sisters at home the next day.

Both Guardsmen were honored by security forces leaders before their shift began the next day and say they appreciate the honor and notoriety, but it pales in comparison to reviving the baby.

“No award in the world could beat those pretty brown eyes opening up and looking back at us after working so hard to help her,” said Specialist Berreras.

“This was a life-changing experience for me,” said Sergeant Kalber. “The actions of everyone from the gate guards to the fire department and paramedics, to the civilians who drove the ambulance to the hospital, gave this a happy ending.”