ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
It was a seemingly ordinary after-duty dinner outing for a group of Andrews Airmen, their spouses and friends - until their waitress never returned to their table. A girl who was with the dining group said she had just seen the server in another room holding a woman who was involuntarily shaking. Without hesitation, the off-duty Airmen leapt to the aid of this stricken woman.
Staff Sgts. Reggie Dingman and Aaron Blaker, both 89th Operations Group communications systems operators, aided in saving the life of a seizure victim at a Waldorf, Md. restaurant recently.
"We all turned around to find a woman on the floor having a seizure. Reggie [Sergeant Dingman] quickly jumped up to see if he could help. He grabbed all of our jackets to keep her warm and prevent her from going into shock," said Staff Sgt. Chandra Dingman, Secretary of Defense NCO in charge of the trip coordinators office and wife of Sergeant Reggie Dingman.
"Aaron (Sergeant Blaker) also jumped in to help. He ran to his truck and grabbed some warm blankets," said Sergeant Chandra Dingman.
"Air Force training played a big part in the event," said Sergeant Reggie Dingman. "Without having done Self-Aid Buddy Care training, we wouldn't have been able to help the woman and could have possibly made the situation worse. The training helped with key elements, such as treating for shock, keeping the victim warm and not giving her something to drink."
The wingmen worked together as a team, combining their knowledge to ensure that the woman received the best care that they could provide. "When Sergeant Blaker came over, we both already had an understanding of the situation, and what our roles would be. If I had gotten there first, then my role would be to support him by getting blankets or keeping the area clear for responding units. Our previous training had a big part in this event," said Sergeant Reggie Dingman.
By great coincidence, three uniformed Emergency Medical Services personnel entered the restaurant. They joined the Airmen's side, and after a few minutes, the group had stabilized the woman. Following a final check of the woman's condition, the EMS workers took her to the hospital in the ambulance that had been parked just outside, said Sergeant Chandra Dingman.
The saving sergeants' modesty after the event couldn't keep their story from sifting into the ears of base leadership. They were formally recognized March 6 at the 99th Airlift Squadron commander's call. Col. Steven B. Harrison, 89th Airlift Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Robert L. Sealey, 89 AW command chief master sergeant, presented each of the sergeants with the wingman's coin and wing commander's coin.
"The actions of Sergeants Dingman and Blaker convince me, once again, that our Airmen are more than military leaders- they bring service, leadership, training and a mindset of mutual support into their communities, neighborhoods and schools. It's no wonder that the Nation trusts our military institutions- our servicemembers define what it means to be a citizen," said Colonel Harrison.
Raul Garcia, husband of the seizure victim and manager of the restaurant said, "My wife is doing much better and is thankful for the efforts of the two Airmen."