Raven escapes with minor injuries

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Michael Crane
  • 139th Airlift Wing
ROSECRANS, ST. JOSEPH, MO. --  A member of the 121st Security Forces Squadron, Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, was injured at Rosecrans last week. The four person Raven security detail was returning from a mission guarding the 139th Airlift Wing's C-130s.

After arriving at Rosecrans the four member team proceeded to their rental van when they noticed it had a flat tire. They used the van's scissor jack to lift the van and remove the flat tire. As one of the members crawled under the van to retrieve the spare tire, the jack gave out, and the van fell on the 21-year-old. The three men, joined by 139th AW members, who where in the area and heard the commotion, lifted the van just enough so the young man could escape its clutch.

Among those who helped lift the van included: Staff Sgt. Dan Nordstrom, 139th Security Forces, who also put the word out on the radio that someone had been injured, MSO1 Roger Rice, 139th SF, Master Sgt. Aaron Ziph, 139th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Staff Sgt. Michael Bowen, 139th LRS, who pulled the young man out from under the van, and Master Sgt. Chris Anderson, 139th LRS, who administered self-aid and buddy care to the young man.

"He's really lucky," said Master Sgt. Delbert Funk, 139th SF. "If he was just a few inches from where he was, it could have been really bad."

An ambulance rushed the young man to Heartland. He sustained minor injuries: a cut on his forehead and a bruised chest. He was released from the hospital the same day.
"When changing a spare tire, be sure to get the spare first before removing the flat tire," said Lt. Col. Doug Proctor, 139th Safety Officer. "Also, make sure to put something under the tire, something that will help prevent it from moving forward or backward."

The Phoenix Raven Security Forces are specially trained security forces who guard Air Mobility Command aircraft around the world.