Four Fort Drum soldiers receive honors for saving baby

FORT DRUM, New York (WWNY) - The following is a news release from Fort Drum:

Four combat medical specialists assigned to 41st Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB), 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, are proof the mantra “continue to train and stand prepared for the next fight,” is not just for the battlefield, but a Soldier’s way of life, during a routine training event here Sept. 20.

Soldiers from 41st BEB were outside taking a break from training on Range 2, an indoor firing range located on 4th Armored Division Drive, when they noticed a car abruptly stop on the side the road.

A woman jumped out of the car and screamed, “Call 911, she’s not breathing!”

Capt. Andrew Hoiland, a company commander assigned to 41st BEB, said the woman then proceeded to yank open the back door and take an infant out of the back seat.

“She’s not breathing,” the woman continued to scream.

Spc. Roberta Badiei, a combat medical specialist, heard the woman pleading for help from the road. She ran towards the mother and child to assist. Quickly assessing the situation, Badiei noticed the child was not making any sounds and turning blue, and she started first aid for a choking infant.

Badiei laid the infant over her forearm and administered five quick back blows. While it may seem intuitive to perform a Heimlich-like procedure, Badiei was extremely careful to use the proper technique for babies – when an infant is choking you do not want to press on the stomach, because it could harm the organs.

Spc. Roberta Lee, another combat medical specialist, hurried over to assist Badiei.

“When I came over all I could think about is how can I help this family,” Lee said. “I did what I was trained to do. Sgt. Jarrett Rivera showed up a little after me, and together we were able to get her to breathing again.”

Pfc. Alex Leal, also a combat medic specialist, assisted in guiding emergency vehicles to the scene.

Leal said he was inside the range facility building getting ready for qualification on his M240 machine gun. He jumped up and ran out of the building as soon as he heard the call for help. When he arrived on the scene, he saw the mother and child were being taken care of, so he went to help the father with the emergency services.

With the combat medics’ teamwork and knowledge of pediatric life-saving procedures, the infant was no longer in imminent danger when she was handed over to be evaluated by the emergency responders.

Humble when offered thanks, the Soldier medics said it is they who appreciate the family for trusting them to help save the life of their child.

“I think this is a true testament to the importance of readiness and our Army Values,” Hoiland said. “These medics reacted at a moment’s notice to provide care for not just Soldiers, but also their families. They embody the meaning of selfless service.”

Sgt. Jarret Rivera, Spc. Roberta Lee, Spc. Chloe Badiei, and Pfc. Alex Leal each received the Army Commendation Medal for their heroics, in a special ceremony attended by Colonel Matthew Braman, Deputy Commanding Officer – Support and Acting Senior Commander, Fort Drum & the 10th Mountain Division, and 10th Mountain Division Command Sergeant Major Nema Mobarakzadeh, on Sept. 29.

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