| Staff Sgt. Keith M. Stevens is the Air Force's 2005 recipient of the annual Vanguard Award for heroic action. Sergeant Stevens is a vehicle operator dispatcher currently assigned to Osan Air Base, Korea. The award, sponsored by the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, recognizes a noncommissioned officer from each military service who has performed a heroic act, on or off duty, which resulted in saving lives or the prevention of serious injury. Sergeant Stevens displayed decisive action and bravery that directly resulted in his convoy completing its mission to the Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During an aggressive insurgent assault, Sergeant Stevens' unwavering effort drove the enemy to retreat, which permitted evacuation of convoy troops, according to witnesses. During the peak of the battle, he directed convoy forces to retrieve body armor and assume defensive positions. Sergeant Stevens nomination for the award states he single-handedly evacuated a soldier from direct hostile fire; kept him calm and located shrapnel wounds to the soldier's right arm. He immobilized him and applied pressure to reduce the bleeding, which resulted in the prevention of having his arm amputated. He then responded to loud cries from another injured soldier approximately 10 meters away. Sergeant Stevens identified the second soldier with shrapnel in his left torso, applied pressure to reduce the loss of blood, then quickly sealed and dressed the wound. His decisive actions significantly made the difference between life and death, preventing the wounded soldier from going into shock. Then he saw a third soldier lying face down and immediately took action. He quickly assessed the situation, cleaned and repaired the area around the object protruding in the soldier's lower extremities. He was able to stabilize and keep him still to prevent further penetration of the shrapnel. Sergeant Stevens' total disregard for his own safety epitomizes selflessness. His quick response in treating critically wounded soldiers while under fire directly resulted in the saving of three lives. The award will be presented to Sergeant Stevens by the NCOA. |
