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Show ttfitop Quick thinking airman saves injured driver scious and responsive. However, it did not take long for Harmon to realize that all was not well. "I noticed a large pool of blood running down the floor of the van. so I quickly looked around to the right of his neck and saw a gash, tliat ap)eared to have severed a major blood supply point," Harmon said. "Without thinking. I took my right hand and clamped down on the wound trying to seal it off. My hand was just big enough to cover the entire wound." Harmon then yelled outside for someone to call 91 1 and bring him a towel or blanket to use on the neck. "Someone threw a towel through the window, and I placed it tightly on the wound. Meanwhile the victim was starting to panic, and he sounded like he was saying his last goodbyes to the driver," Harmon said. "I immediately stopped him from doing this, got him to look me in the eyes and explained the situation to him as best I could." "I told him I needed him to calm down and slow his breathing," Harmon said. "I was trying to slow down the seemingly unstoppable flow of blood coming out of his neck. He immediately responded, and we talked some more while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. I assured him he would pull through this and everything was by Staff Sgt. William J. Seabrook Jr. 16m Special Operat ors Wng Pubic Aaus lU'KIJirRTHKUUli On a routine drive home July l'i. an airman assiw-- here (AI TN) six-inc- discovered what it mean to "hold someone's life in his hands." It was around 7:l.")pm..wiH-StaffStf.Matliew Harmon from the lMh Helicopter (teneratiin Squadron here was driving on I'.S. I li;hway W and saw a white van directly in front of hint suddenly spin out of control and flip four times in the highway's median. "I managed to be the fu st vehicle on scene, and I ran to the driver's side of the van which had come to rest on all four whei ls," Harmon said. "I instructed the driver, who was wearing a not to move. It was then that I heard a voice calling for help from somew here on the floor of the van. I ran to the other side of the vehicle and discovered the passenger door to be inoperable." Harmon then dove through the door's window, which was broken out and came fat e to face with the second victim who was lying on his back between the two seats. The victim. Casey Shields, was con seat-bel- t, going to be fine." Harmon credits his ability to stay calm to his Air Force self-aibuddy care training. I've learned about being an Air "Everything Force professional was invaluable," he said. "I've never had any advance first-aitraining, just the standard self-aibuddy care training." The procedure of putting pressure on the wound was pretty simple. Harmon acknowledged the films he watched during buddy care training helped him to mentally prepare for severe incidents like this one. When the paramedics arrived, Harmon briefed them on the condition of Shield's bleeding neck, which had slowed but not stopped. "The paramedics instructed me to stay on his neck while they put (intravenous fluid) in him and prepped him for moving to the Life Flight helicopter to transport him to the hospital," he said. "Once the firefighters cut open the van's back doors, we moved the victim to the helicopter where one of the flight paramedics took over." Shields' mother, Carol, credits Harmon with being her son's guardian angel. The doctors told me that if Matt Harmon hadn't been there and did what he did, my son would have bled to death on the floor of that van," she said. "Matt Harmon dove in that van and immediately began caring for my son. "He did so with no regard to his personal safety-h-e was literally up to his elbows in blood." Carol said. "He did w hat he felt was the right thing to do and saved Casey's life in the process. Our entire family will always owe him a detxt of gratitude." In the end, Shields' jugular vein was severed and his aorta artery was nearly severed, which would have been fatal. He lost more than three pints of blood. Harmon's deed did not surprise his commander, Maj. Keith McKenzie. d h d d "Throughout Sergeant Harmon's tenure with us at the 16th HGS he's always been the consummate professional" McKenzie said. "He's always been a caring person who takes his job extremely seriously. I'm not surprised that he'd be willing to disregard his own safety to help a fellow man. Matt Harmon will always be a hero in this squadron." Harmon said he was just doing the same thing anybody else would have done had they been there. "I was there, and I did what my instinct told me to do," he said. "I just thank God that Casey's all right." Record promotion rates raise questions for some by Staff Sgt. Matt Miller Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs RANDOLPH AFB, Texas (AFPN) With promotions to staff sergeant hitting record numbers the last three years, Air Force people may be questioning whether so many senior airmen are qualified to step into the noncommissioned officer corps. The Air Force announced promotions for 20,793 airmen to staff sergeant July 19 and more than 56,(XX) new s since the 1999 E-4- cycle. "Both this and last year's promotion rates give me concern that young airmen are being put into leadership positions before they're ready," said Staff Sgt. Wendy McNabb. noncommissioned officer in charge of the evaluations and decorations section at McChord AFIi, Wash. "Some of these people are who will now be supervising and training even younger airmen." McNabb's doubt is shared by others Air Force-widBut senior enlisted leaders say the system of preparing and screening new NCOs works. They point to three factors that predirect supervisor involvement, Airpare new staff sergeants man Leadership School and commander's final review as safeguards against unqualified NCOs. The role the supervisor plays, from the time these airmen enter the Air Force, is essential in molding a good NCO, said Chief Master Sgt. Bill Milligan, Air Education and Training Command command chief master sergeant. "The Air Force doesn't get NCOs off the street," Milligan said. "It's the immediate supervisor who directly influences the development of these young airmen. This service depends on the supervisor to show them how things should be done." first-terme- rs e. 10-ye- said. "It's one of the fundamental building blocks of the Air Force," Milligan said. "An essential element that gives our new NCOs the tools to mentor another young airman down the same path." Then there is professional military education. The Air Force mandates that every senior airman attend the four and a k Airman Leadership School prior to sewing on staff sergeant stripes. "ALS is a key ingredient which prepares individuals for supervisory responsibilities," said Chief Master Sgt. Mike Eitnier, the Air Force's chief of Professional Military Education. "It lays the foundations needed to help airmen take that next step into the NCO ranks." More than 180 hours of instruction gives senior airmen an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of an NCO. "ALS provided some unique training that I feel will help me relate to those I will be supervising in the near future," said Senior Airman Landon Branch, 12th Security Forces Squadron at Randolph AFB, Texas. The intricacies of the performance feedback and the (enlisted performance report), performing counseling sessions in front of your peers with d scenarios and becoming comfortable speaking to a crowd were all aspects of leadership school that I will use continually," he said. The biggest concern with ALS is that there may be more airmen waiting to sew on staff sergeant each month than there are slots at base schools. half-wee- real-worl- "We know there is going to be a large number of senior airmen throughout the force who need to attend ALS because of the recent promotion list," Eitnier said. "But we are optimistic that airman leadership schools across the service will be able to handle the influx of senior airmen needing to attend. It might be a strain on our folks, but they will work hard and get creative to handle the increase. I'm comfortable well make it happen, because this education is important." In the event an airman does not get a school slot, because of overcrowding, prior to his or her sew-odate, procedures are already in place where they will receive back pay and entitlements as if they had been promoted on time. upon graduation The Secretary of the Air Force has given AFPC the ability to correct situations such as this," said Chief Master Sgt Greg Haley, enlisted promotion and military testing branch chief here. "And though we believe this will be the exception rather than the rule, any senior airmen who are not able to attend school, because they are either deployed or a slot is just not available, will have their promotion date corrected once they graduate." Finally, unit commanders play a big role in whether an NCO is promoted before he or she is ready, because a commander's recommendation is an essential element of any promotion, Haley said. These airmen have done everything that we have asked them to do to be promotion-eligible,- " Milligan said. The Air Force relies on supervisors to mentor young troops, ALS to teach senior airmen and commanders to evaluate their men and women. I have the utmost confidence that these recent promotees are fully capable of leading the world's best Air Force into the future." (Courtesy ofAFPC News Service) n Dr. Grace O'BricnNJ 'r If Through mentorship from supervisors, junior enlisted members not only gain valuable job experience, but are also formed into the kinds of leaders the Air Force needs at those levels, he Family Practice Has Reheated to t fO j $50 Mountain View Family Care 124 South Fairfield Lavtnn Personal Loans - $1500 Car Title Loans Discharged Bankruptcies Laytom Finance A 546-944- 1 Iff M8 fill Visa mmi til till 1 ' Certified Dutchboy carpet Cleaners v II 1969 N. Main 525-888- 3 Layton a or 3 546-187- 0 l UBS 16 YOUR WEIGHT : PROBLEM, www.oldwestmoHgnge.com 7?ri reWI KcsUlftitlnl A ReflnanceZ Now While rates?" 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