FORT CARSON, Colo. — Col. Dave Zinn, commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, pins an Army Commendation Medal with V device on Staff Sgt. Andrew Brant, with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd IBCT, April 12, 2019, during an awards ceremony at Fort Carson, Colo. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield)
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield
2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Four Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, received Army Commendation Medals with V device April 12, 2019, during an awards ceremony on Fort Carson, Colo. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Four Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stood proudly in front of their leaders and peers April 12, 2019, during an awards ceremony at Fort Carson, Colorado.
The ceremony recognized Sgt. 1st Class Timoteo Salinas, Staff Sgt. Andrew Brant, Staff Sgt. Ryan Bomze and Spc. Alexander Jimenez for their heroic actions six months ago while deployed as part of Task Force Stalwart in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
On the morning of Oct. 4, a platoon from Alpha Company, Task Force Stalwart, encountered an improvised explosive device, which immobilized one of the platoon’s vehicles.
The Quick Reaction Force (QRF) platoon was immediately notified.
“Our platoon was the QRF platoon that morning,” said Salinas, the platoon sergeant at the time. “We were doing one week as QRF platoon every other month, so we weren’t doing it very often, we just got to be the unlucky platoon that got called upon that day.”
Salinas and his platoon sprang into action and headed out to the site of impact with an explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) team to clear the path.
“Once we were in position, we helped the platoon secure the area,” said Brant, squad leader for the QRF platoon at the time. “Shortly after helping secure the area, one of the medics and I saw a secondary (explosion) go off.”
Brant said he vividly remembers seeing one of the EOD team members impacted by the blast.
Without any hesitation Brant and Jimenez, the QRF’s platoon medics, sprinted approximately 50 meters to aid the casualty.
“I was trying (to) assist in anything I possibly could, putting pressure on arteries to stop the bleeding, while the medics did the more complex stuff,” Brant said. “At that moment, we all just reacted, it was instinct.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Col. Dave Zinn, commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, speaks during an award ceremony April 12, 2019, at Fort Carson, Colo. Four Soldiers were presented with valor awards for their heroic actions in October, while deployed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, by Zinn during the ceremony. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield)
As the Soldiers provided aid to the casualty, Bomze began reporting the incident to his higher headquarters and called in a MedEvac.
Having leaders who used their training during the incident to help keep calm and help provide aid to the casualty was crucial, according to Salinas.
“Some younger and less experienced Soldiers will freeze and not know what to do, but someone with experience will let their training kick in and react quickly,” he explained.
After medically evacuating the casualty from the area and learning of the Soldiers passing by, Salinas’ top priority from that point on was talking to his Soldiers.
“Whether they heard about the incident, were at the site where the incident happened or helped aid the casualty, Soldiers sometimes don’t know how to react afterward,” said Salinas. “I wanted to let them get their thoughts and feelings out while it was still fresh on their minds.”
Salinas said he was proud of the work his Soldiers did that day.
“Receiving this award to me personally is not a big deal,” said Salinas. “It’s more rewarding to know that we did everything we could to try to save someone’s life, to me that’s the most important thing.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — From left: Sgt. 1st Class Timoteo Salinas, Staff Sgt. Ryan Bomze, Staff Sgt. Andrew Brant and Spc. Alexander Jimenez, all with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stand in front of their leaders and peers after being awarded the Army Commendation Medal with V device April 12, 2019, during an awards ceremony on Fort Carson, Colo. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Neysa Canfield)