{"id":303810,"date":"2024-10-17T06:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T06:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=303810"},"modified":"2024-10-18T16:23:27","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T16:23:27","slug":"u-s-service-members-provide-lifesaving-aid-to-okinawa-resident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=303810","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Service Members Provide Lifesaving Aid to Okinawa Resident\u202f"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
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CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, JAPAN — <\/span><\/p>\n

\u202fOn Oct. 6, 2024, three U.S Marines and one U.S Navy Sailor were in a taxi northbound on the Okinawa Expressway heading back to Camp Schwab, when their driver suddenly stopped due to a vehicle blocking the road. The vehicle was involved in a crash and inside was a local resident. Without hesitation, the group of four rushed to assist.\u202f<\/p>\n

“It was just all instinct. Not once did I see a single one of us hesitate,\u201d\u00a0Cpl. Austin Potter<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The trucks front end was crushed, and the vehicle remained disabled blocking both lanes on the expressway. The four service members quickly sprang into action, knowing someone\u2019s life was on the line.<\/p>\n

U.S. Marine Cpl. Austin Potter, a Falling Waters, W. Va. native; Lance Cpl. Stephen Estrada, a Santa Ana, Calif. native; Lance Cpl. Samuel Calhoun, an Alvord, Texas native; and U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jett Garcia, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native, are all forward deployed with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program.<\/p>\n

The service members quickly assessed their surroundings. Estrada noticed a shovel in the bed of the truck and attempted to use it to pry open the door. When the service members noticed the door wouldn\u2019t open, Calhoun broke the car door\u2019s window and Potter was able to remove the driver swiftly and safely from the vehicle.<\/p>\n

After assessing the driver\u2019s condition\u00a0and ensuring he was stabilized, Estrada and Garcia moved the driver away from the vehicle into a safer area until paramedics arrived on scene to take the individual to a nearby hospital.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal<\/span>
\n Photo by Cpl. Michael Taggart<\/span><\/p>\n
U.S. Marines and Sailors are awarded with Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and Letters of Appreciation at Camp Schwab, Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 11, 2024. The Marines and Sailors were awarded for their heroic actions in providing aid to a Japanese local after a vehicle accident in Okinawa, Japan. The Marines are with 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Michael Taggart)<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI think without our training, I would have been a nervous wreck,\u201d said Potter. \u201cYou can sit down and look at a book, but going through hands-on training makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Marine Corps provides infantry units basic casualty and combat care training, preparing them to provide aid to injured service members in combat situations. Marines and Sailors who attend the course learn to provide life-sustainment care similar to what a U.S. Navy Corpsman would administer until the causality can be treated by a medical professional.<\/p>\n

Even after the driver was evacuated, the service members\u2019 concern for the individual did not subside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no idea if that man is ok, but I hope he is,\u201d said Potter. \u201cWe really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

When informed of the situation, their unit leadership stated the Marines\u2019 and Sailor\u2019s actions clearly reflect their character as selfless professionals and their willingness to do the right thing at great cost to themselves.<\/p>\n

“Cpl. Potter has always been a Marine of upstanding moral character and strives to do his best day in and day out.\u202f He has a lot of personal pride in being a Marine and he exhibits it by doing his utmost in everything he does,\u201d\u00a01st Sgt. Thomas Ochoa,\u00a0a company first sergeant\u00a0with 4th Marine Regiment<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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CAMP COURTNEY, OKINAWA, JAPAN — \u202fOn Oct. 6, 2024, three U.S Marines and one U.S Navy Sailor were in a taxi northbound on the Okinawa Expressway heading back to Camp Schwab, when their driver suddenly stopped due to a vehicle blocking the road. The vehicle was involved in a crash and inside was a local […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":303812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-303810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=303810"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":303813,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/303810\/revisions\/303813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/303812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=303810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=303810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=303810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}