Hero abroad to hero at home Published June 7, 2017 By Senior Airman Lauren Douglas 94th Airlift Wing Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia -- A screeching voice rings out in the avenue as nearby citizens pause and take notice. “Oh, no! That bus just ran over that lady!” the voice cries. A brave patron at a nearby diner springs into action and is at the injured woman’s side seconds after the voice hit the air. The courageous helper sees that her legs are badly injured and she is losing a tremendous amount of blood to the pavement beneath her. He wraps her leg with a cloth and secures it with his own belt to hopefully stop the bleeding. That brave first responder is Tech. Sgt. Ken Russell. He recalls the gruesome scene and the quick-thinking actions he took on that day in May. Russell, 94th Maintenance Squadron nondestructive inspection member, was enjoying a meal at a local café May 16, 2017, around 3 p.m., in his hometown of Morristown, Tennessee when the distressed voice called out for help. The victim, a 59-year-old woman who worked at a nearby pet shop, had been hit and subsequently ran over by a school bus full of high school students. “Blood was quickly pooling under her right leg,” said Russell. “The flesh and calf muscle was torn off of her lower right leg and the shin was fully exposed and compound fractured.” Russell said he knew he had to do something quickly or the woman’s life was at risk. “We ran outside to find a woman bleeding from both legs,” said the café owner, Donna Cutshaw. Cutshaw dialed 911 as Russell created a tourniquet using his leather belt and a towel a waitress from the café had carried outside. Cutshaw, a registered nurse for 27 years, said without Russell’s fast action the woman could have bled to death. Police arrived to the scene about five minutes after the call but did not provide medical care. They redirected traffic for the incident until ambulatory care arrived about ten minutes later. Russell was able to halt the profuse bleeding from the woman’s leg. He, along with others kept her calm and conscious until the emergency response team was able to reach the scene. The police officer who reached out to Russell to ask if he witnessed the incident told him, you definitely saved her life and without him, there’s no doubt she wouldn't have made it. Russell did not see the accident but came to her side immediately afterward. “This is a testament to the training that we levy upon our Airmen,” said Maj. Michael McConnell, 94th Maintenance Squadron commander. “It’s effective and not necessarily confined to the fences of this base. When we talk about Citizen Airmen, we know they have the training, the skills and the knowledge to be effective Airmen, But it’s that training that also makes them effective citizens in this country. It’s rewarding to see the impact our training has on society as a whole when it comes to actions like this.” Russell received Self Aid and Buddy Care training prior to his recent deployment to Afghanistan, August 2016 to February 2017. SABC is an in-depth training of real-life skills necessary in the event that yourself or a “buddy” becomes injured in combat. Russell said, those skills definitely kicked in at the time of the accident and he would hope that anyone would step in and do what needed to be done in such a dire emergency. The woman was rushed to the local hospital and later taken by life-flight to University of Tennessee Knoxville for further care. “There is little doubt that she would have bled out before medical help arrived without having the leg in a tourniquet,” said Russell. “She was released from the hospital into the care of a rehabilitation facility on June 1.” Russell said he doesn’t feel like a hero. He was devastated in the moment but thankful that he knew what to do. “As a squadron we’re proud to have Sgt. Russell as a part of the 94th MXS,” said McConnell. “We want to make sure he gets recognized. We like to recognize our Airmen for their accomplishments, achievements and the good their doing out in the community, not just here on base.”
