Green Beret uses military training to save civilian's life

By Sgt. Joseph ParrishNovember 9, 2017

Green Beret uses military training to save civilian's life
Staff Sgt. Matt Grantham, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), saved a stranger's life in Thurston County on October 27, 2017. Emergency Medical Services said that Grantham's ability to stop an arterial bleed kept the man in stable con... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Every day provides an opportunity to help someone else. Sometimes this is in small ways, and sometimes this is in large ways. Staff Sgt. Matt Grantham, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), completed a small act that impacted a stranger in a large way.

Grantham displayed the core Army value of selfless service on October 29th, 2017. As he was pulling into his parking lot, he saw two people crouched over a man. The woman was holding a ripped piece of t-shirt to a man's arms. Grantham knew something didn't look right, so he stopped to help.

Realizing really quickly that the patient had a laceration and a possible arterial bleed, Grantham immediately took over applying pressure and went into his assessment of the wound as he was trained to do in the Army.

"I could tell the man needed help," Grantham said. "Once I realized he was going to bleed out, my military training kicked in and I didn't even think about what I was doing."

Grantham instructed the patient's brother to get Grantham's aid bag out of his truck so he could stop the bleeding. Then he applied a tourniquet and trauma dressing to the laceration.

Grantham remained with the man and kept him calm until Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene. The EMS that responded were not equipped with a tourniquet, and said that the patient was lucky that Grantham saved his life.

An official for Thurston County said when they arrived on scene, the patient was in stable condition due to Grantham's actions. "It's always good to see someone from our military that has medical training step up to help a civilian in need," a county spokesman later said.

"Matt is a consummate professional, and we are very proud of him," said Command Sgt. Major Daniel Orosco, 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). "His actions that day are a testament to his ‎leadership, training, and compassion for others. He embodies the professional spirit of the Green Beret."