Readiness sergeant puts SABC training to good use

Published Aug. 6, 2007
By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Barrett
8th Air Force Public Affairs

FORT EUSTIS, Va. -- What do you get when you send an Airman to an Army Base for Deployment Training and she comes back as a Self-Aid and Buddy Care hero? You get Staff Sgt. Brenda Johnson, Eighth Air Force manpower and personnel readiness NCO in charge.
Sergeant Johnson was a first-responder to a two-vehicle accident with injuries while on temporarily duty for training to Fort Eustis, Va. She is credited with critical first-aid care to an adult woman passenger with a broken leg and her passenger son who received severe head trauma upon impact, and stabilized the vehicle driver and another backseat toddler.
On her first training day at Fort Eustis Army Base, Staff Sgt. Johnson took the chance during her lunch break to return to her off-post quarters to pick up training material for the afternoon class. While on the local interstate, she witnessed an event she said dramatically changed her understanding and appreciation of Air Force training placed into action.
"While driving along, I saw the worst accident I have ever seen," she said. "I saw a green car and white car crisscross each other and 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, spun a few times and hit the right barrier head on. At that point I knew that I had to do something."
Sergeant Johnson immediately used her cell phone and notified 911 of the accident. Although this accident occurred in the opposite direction of travel, Staff Sgt. Johnson exited the interstate and returned back on the highway to provide assistance.
Upon arrival at the scene she witnessed injured people on the side of the road, one adult female and her two young boys ages 10 and 6 years old.
"I immediately examined the youngest boy and noticed the gash on his neck. I gave him a paper towel for him to hold and stop the bleeding," she explained.
As the woman started to become hysterical and begged for someone to check the older boy.
"I didn't see any blood on him immediately 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 so she could 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 then asked him to open his eyes just to see if he responded and he did," she explained. "However, when he opened his eyes I knew something wrong as his pupils looked quite different."
She kicked into action by stabilizing his head and neck and 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 on me," she said. "The boy's head began to swell due to internal head trauma."
As Staff Sgt. 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 shoulder.
Not long after, an Emergency Medical Service Team arrived and Sergeant Johnson quickly and accurately briefed the medical team on the situation and gave her assessment of who needed help in order of severity.
"The paramedic asked me to assist by keeping the boys head straight and not moving it. Without any hesitation I did, it felt like second nature to me," she said.
Staff Sgt. Johnson was interviewed by the Virginia State Police and 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 Staff Sgt. Johnson was on a medical team at Langley Air Force Base."
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 debriefed the senior Air Force officer in class attendance, 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 interstate 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 explained.
Sergeant Johnson credits the Eighth Air Force SABC instructor, Master Sgt. Kevin Mott, with motivating her actions.
"Sergeant Mott really makes sure his student take self-aid 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 for recovery 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 we receive in the Air Force.
"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."

Major Joe Mercurio, Air Combat Command Logisitcs, contributed to this story.