Scott Airman helps injured co-worker at JB Balad Published July 13, 2011 By Senior Airman Amber R. Kelly-Herard 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs Scott Air Force Base, Ill. -- Its 6 a.m. and the Redistribution Property Accountability Team at Joint Base Balad is off-loading multiple Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles during shift turnover when the team realizes they are missing someone. Master Sgt. Chad DeVries, 402nd Army Field Support Brigade NCOIC, had last seen Staff Sgt. John Paul Esposito, 402nd AFSB Rolling Stock NCOIC, getting ready to off-load an MRAP, so Army Staff Sgt. Juan Soto, ran to the MRAP. "After a few seconds, I looked up at the MRAP and I saw the driver's side door swing in, swing out and then swing in again," said DeVries, who is deployed from Scott Air Force Base. "Then I heard a loud scream and saw that everyone was giving the signal to cease all operations." DeVries, who is a native of Sarasota, Fla., said he assisted with the 500-pound MRAP door that was on Esposito's leg, while asking someone to call an ambulance. He then asked for a strap to secure the door open. "Once the door was secured, I crawled underneath it so I could get a better assessment of the injuries," he said. "Sergeant Esposito was conscious and alert at this point and obviously in a lot of pain. After a few minutes he said he was getting thirsty, so we got some water and I told him to take small sips and not to drink a lot." At the same time, DeVries, instructed another NCO to get Capt. Stephen Gallager, 402nd AFSB Officer in charge, so he could accompany Esposito to the hospital. "I noticed on the back of his leg that he had blood soaking through his pants, so I knew at that point he had at the minimum a serious laceration, but most likely an open fracture," said DeVries. Soto sat behind Esposito to comfort him by talking and Army Specialist Ramon Vazquez stood near DeVries to keep Esposito's leg still and also provide aid and comfort. "Sergeant Esposito asked me, 'It's pretty bad, isn't it Sergeant D,' and I said, 'Yeah it's pretty bad, but we're going to get you an ambulance," said DeVries. "Being on a base with a hospital and the fact that blood flow wasn't that bad, I did not think we needed to tourniquet his leg." "Everyone was a little freaked out, which is why I tried to keep them busy so they would keep calm and so would Esposito," he said. DeVries then faced another issue, Esposito was about eight feet from the ground because the MRAP was in the process of being off-loaded on a truck, so when the emergency responders arrived they would not be able to lift him down, so they cleared the back of the MRAP so he could be pulled through there. When the ambulance arrived, DeVries briefed the emergency responders on the situation, then ran back to the office to grab Esposito's medical records and came back to accompany Esposito to the hospital along with Gallagher. DeVries credits his previous personal injuries for allowing him to remain calm. "I was in a motorcycle accident and all I could see was my boot on the ground and I thought my foot was in there, but the person taking care of me wouldn't let me look at it and he kept telling me I was ok," he said. "I have broken nine bones and I have six pins in my leg so I understood his pain." Since the June 19 incident, Esposito has returned home to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, and his leg is recovering thanks to DeVries and the other 402nd AFSB members who assisted that day. During a recent visit, Chief Master Sgt. Mike Hanning, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Iraq and Air Component Coordination Element-Iraq command chief, coined DeVries for assisting Esposito. "It's nice to get recognized," said DeVries. "It was a team effort and everyone did their part."