Defenders rescue three in collision

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Katrina Heikkinen
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Six 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron members helped save three people after witnessing the aftermath of a vehicle collision near Armington Junction east of Belt, Mont., on Oct. 2.

According to Montana Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 9:40 a.m. Just five minutes later, Senior Airmen Tyler Woolverton, Ryan Fore, Kyle Mills; and Airmen 1st Class Donald Wagner, Daniel Orcutt, and Samuel Frei were heading to a launch facility near Monarch, Mont. When they noticed something was wrong, they took immediate action.

"At first it looked like two cars stopped in the middle of Highway 87 at Armington Junction," said Woolverton. "Then we noticed there was an accident. As we pulled up, we decided to get out and see if we could help. We were the first individuals to arrive at the scene, other than one volunteer EMT."

After the EMT directed the Airmen to inspect the back seat of one of the vehicles for any more victims, they cut the deployed airbags and seat belts to assist with the extraction and worked together to keep the victims awake before an ambulance arrived.

"Everyone worked together and found a job that needed to be done until all of the individuals were out of the vehicles," said Fore.

"The whole team didn't hesitate to take action," said Mills. "I felt extremely confident in my actions due to the leadership skills I have been taught over my four years in the Air Force. Due to my prior training as a firefighter, I put those skills to action."

Once EMTs and firefighters from Great Falls, Mont., arrived, the Airmen continued to help stabilize the victims before loading one individual into a Mercy Flight helicopter and another into an ambulance to be transported to Benefis Hospital.

"During the incident, there were no feelings other than getting those people to safety," Woolverton said. "Afterwards I felt a sense of accomplishment and relief seeing the victims being taken to the hospital alive. I'm very proud of what we did."

Although the three people involved in the collision may never know the impact Malmstrom's six defenders had on saving their lives, their actions breathed life into "service before self."

"It's an incredibly humbling experience being allowed to command a wing filled with quiet heroes," said Col. Robert Stanley, 341st Missile Wing commander. "They just perfectly defined what it means to be a U.S. Airman."