BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Integrity is one of the core values that every U.S. Airman takes an oath to model their life after, both on and off duty. On January 13, 2022, Staff Sgt. Naomi DuBose demonstrated those values and came to the aide of an elderly gentleman who found himself in a potentially fatal situation.
“I was driving back to work from Shreveport, talking to my then fiancé, and I see this car on the side of the road that had flames dripping from near the engine bay,” said Dubose. “I noticed there was nobody there helping, and this man was leaning against the driver seat of his car, so I pulled over to help.”
At the time, DuBose was unaware if the gentleman even knew that his vehicle was on fire. DuBose approached the car and noticed the gentleman was on the phone with his insurance company (oddly enough). She jumped into action and helped the man to a safe distance away from the burning vehicle. Fortunately, there were additional motorists who stopped to help. A pair of them had fire extinguishers and began to extinguish flames until the fire department was able to arrive on scene, according to the Airman.
“At this point, I started directing traffic away from the car that was on fire and did that until the fire department came out and took control of the scene -- the main thing running through my head was just making sure this guy was safe,” said DuBose. According to the staff sergeant, the motorist avoided any serious injuries and left the scene with family members.
DuBose, a tactical datalink manager assigned to the 608th Air Operations Center, is responsible for ensuring continuous communication between bomber aircraft and satellites. She spoke to the impact that growing up near an Air Force base had on her.
Growing up in the Air Force town of Alamogordo, New Mexico, she was constantly surrounded by those making an impact on her community and putting others before themselves.
“My dad was in the army, my brother was a Marine, and I grew up in an Air Force community, so even volunteering was huge in my town, I feel like everyone around me had always put others first in that sense.” said DuBose. “Everyone else did it around me and I was raised that way, so it’s been nice to be able to show that and hopefully have an impact on others.”
Aside from growing up near an Air Force base, DuBose attributes her strong desire to help others to how she was raised. She knows the impact that helping others can make on an individual. Four years ago, DuBose’s father was tragically killed in a traffic accident, just days after her move to Barksdale AFB.
“It was definitely a dramatic experience, I had just arrived to Barksdale when I found out my dad had passed,” said DuBose. “But it’s one of the things that shaped me into who I am now, this is how I can help pay it forward.”
On February 21st, 2023, DuBose was awarded an appreciation award from the Bossier City fire chief and the mayor in a recognition ceremony for her efforts and selflessness in helping a civilian in a time of need. Additionally, she was honored by the Air Force Sergeant’s Association with the Pitsenbarger Award (now competing at the major command level) and received an Air and Space Commendation Medal for heroism.