Sergeant who saved child from tradgedy awarded AF Achievement Medal

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  • By Public Affairs
  • 459th Air Refueling Wing
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. --  Technical Sgt. Ronesia L. Smith, 459th Air Refueling Wing knowledge operations manager, received the The Air Force Achievement Medal during the 459 ARW Commander's Call at the Base Theater, Joint Base Andrews, Md., Dec. 6, 2015, for her actions in saving the life of a child struck by a vehicle earlier in the year.

While driving to duty Feb. 6, 2015, Tech. Sgt. Ronesia L. Smith witnessed the vehicle in front of her strike a seven-year-old child that ran into the road. The impact caused the child to land in the adjacent, oncoming traffic lane.

Sergeant Smith immediately stopped her vehicle and sprang into action. She removed the child to the side of the road and initiated first aid care until emergency personnel arrived and took over. Sergeant Smith removed items from her uniform to tourniquet the child's dismembered arm. She made the child more comfortable to assist with troubled breathing due to broken ribs and a punctured lung as well as to prevent further injury while the child was convulsing from seizure attacks.

By applying the skills learned during her 13 years of military service, maintaining situation al awareness, remaining calm and taking swift action, Sergeant Smith's efforts aided in the saving of the child's life.