RAPID CITY, S.D. - North Dakota Soldiers at a training exercise in South Dakota started today reacting to a real-life, not training, situation.
Members of the <a href="http://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/">North Dakota Army National Guard's</a> 191st Military Police Company are in Rapid City, S.D., taking part in Golden Coyote, a two-week exercise that began yesterday. While performing maintenance checks on their vehicle near the south gate of Camp Rapid, four North Dakota Soldiers heard an accident occur just outside of the gate.
Spc. Matthew A. Derby rushed to the scene of the accident and rendered aid to an individual that was involved in the accident, ensuring that the person, who had a concussion, was cared for until medical assistance arrived. Derby has served eight years in the Guard, seven of those with the Military Police, and has been trained in the Guard as a Combat Lifesaver.
While Derby provided aid, Spc. Leah R. Grinsteinner, of Bismarck, called 911 and informed the unit tactical operations center of the situation. In the meantime, Spc. Jason M. Cook and Spc. Kevin E. Marvig redirected civilian traffic and military convoys away from the scene of the accident until civilian law enforcement officials could take control of the scene. As military police, traffic control is a skill the Soldiers are well-experienced in.
<a href="https://sdguard.ngb.army.mil/pages/leadership/ag.aspx">Maj. Gen. Steven R. Doohen</a>, South Dakota's adjutant general, commended the North Dakota Soldiers for their actions today during the Commander's Update Brief. He presented each with a National Guard cap and commander's coin.
"I am proud of these Soldiers from the 191st for their quick actions," Doohen said. "It is very gratifying to hear the Soldiers here at Golden Coyote are willing to help others in need."
Upon learning of the North Dakota Soldiers actions,<a href="http://www.ndguard.ngb.army.mil/jointforce/jointexecutivecouncil/Sprynczynatyk/Pages/default.aspx"> Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk</a>, North Dakota's adjutant general, was not surprised.
"Our Soldiers consistently train for any type of situation that might arise, and the actions today of these military police are indicative of what solid training coupled with some hard-working, dedicated Soldiers can do," Sprynczynatyk said. "These Soldiers responded quickly and confidently, and I'm sure their actions prevented further injury for the accident victims as well as others coming upon the accident scene."
Derby, of Fargo, works as a light-wheeled vehicle mechanic for the 191st, while working full-time as a welder for Wiesgram Metal Fabrication. Grinsteinner joined the Guard in 2008 and works in communications. Outside of the Guard, she's a Dickinson State University student who also gives golf lessons and works as a Starbucks barista. Cook serves as the unit armorer for the 191st, and works full-time providing security at Fraine Barracks in Bismarck. The five-year Guardsman also owns a mixed martial arts gym and is married with two children. Marvig, of Halstad, Minn., performs administrative duties and serves as a unit public affairs representative for the 191st. He's been in the Guard for four years, the past two of which he has spent with the Military Police.
<a href="https://sdguard.ngb.army.mil/">The South Dakota National Guard </a>is hosting its 26th annual Golden Coyote training exercise in the southern Black Hills June 14-26, providing relevant training opportunities in support of overseas contingency operations and homeland defense. Local residents receive numerous benefits from the many engineering projects also being conducted during the training exercise. Engineering units transport timber cut in remote areas to those who can use it as firewood, identify hazardous wilderness areas and make them safe for public use, and resurface local roadways that have fallen into disrepair.
Missions for the 2010 Golden Coyote training exercise are conducted throughout the Black Hills of South Dakota and the surrounding area, both in local urban areas and remote wilderness sites.
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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 3,500 Soldiers and more than 1,800 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Currently, about 600 North Dakota Guardsmen are serving overseas. With a total force of about 4,400 Soldiers and Airmen, sufficient forces remain in the state for emergency response and homeland defense.
<u>Photos</u>
High-resolution photos to accompany this release are available on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ndguard. Navigate to the photo set titled "Golden Coyote Accident Response."
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For more information</u>
<a href="https://sdguard.ngb.army.mil/news/2010-05-28 National Guard to host 26th annual Golden Coyote exercise.pdf">National Guard to host 26th annual Golden Coyote exercise </a>- South Dakota National Guard press release (May 28, 2010)
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