ZWICKAU, GERMANY - Inside the Zwickau police headquarters on a crisp day in late March, six Soldiers listened intently during a recognition ceremony as U.S. Consul David T. Panetti declared, “Your swift and bold action – sometimes even simple acts of quiet dignity — are what make the fabric of our alliance stronger.”
On May 22, 2023, shattered metal and glass littered a major highway outside of Zwickau when the 2nd Cavalry Regiment convoy pulled up to the scene of a large automobile accident. The convoy was only an hour away from its home of Vilseck, Germany, after a long, three-day journey from Poland, but when German civilians asked the U.S. Soldiers for help, there was no hesitation in response.
The scene of the crash was extensive. Four cars, each damaged significantly, blocked off most of the highway. When the Soldiers dismounted their Stryker armored vehicles, they moved quickly to assess the victims, removing those they could from damaged vehicles and applying emergency medical treatment using the combat lifesaver bags kept onboard each vehicle. The Soldiers, who are trained extensively in providing life-saving first aid care, reacted immediately without uncertainty or second thoughts.
“I really didn’t think about it too much,” said Sgt. Jarrett Long, an engineer with 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment. “I just thought, ‘I need to help these people.’ That’s all that went through my head.”
On the day of the accident, the Soldiers applied aid for approximately ten minutes before German first responders arrived. They gave the German authorities their assessment of the injured and described the medical treatment they applied. Four injured individuals were airlifted away to local hospitals for extensive medical treatment.
Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Williams, Sgt. Jarrett Long, Sgt. Brandon Williams, Sgt. Nicolas Gomez, Sgt. Ulises Magana-Hernandez, and Spc. Isaac Salsberry, all of whom are assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, were honored during the recognition ceremony on March 27, 2024.
Police President Dirk Lichtenberger, Head of Police Regional Office Zwickau, began the ceremony by describing the theme he chose for the event: friendship between Germany and the U.S. He continued by thanking the Soldiers for their aid and contemplated the reasons for what drove them to act so selflessly.
“What made you decide to step out of your vehicles and help those people?” Lichtenberger asked the Soldiers. “The answer is easy,” he continued. “You came here as guests, friends and allies, stationed in Germany to protect the stability and security of the people here.”
Inside the police headquarters, the recognition ceremony was held in an intimate and welcoming room, setting the scene for a meaningful event between allied nations. Guest speakers at the ceremony included Head of Police Regional Office Zwickau Police President Dirk Lichtenberger, U.S. Consul David T. Panetti, consul for the U.S. Consulate General in Leipzig, and Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis A. Doyle, command sergeant major for the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.
At the end of the ceremony, Doyle spoke with radiating pride for his Soldiers and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment.
“As any decent human being would do in a situation that required the help of others,” Doyle said. “These Soldiers acted immediately, without hesitation, to render aid to others in dire need on that tragic day.”
Following the ceremony, the Soldiers were granted both certificates and their own official German police hats, then given a guided tour of the Zwickau police headquarters. Afterwards, the Soldiers received a thorough tour of the August Horch Museum, which catalogs more than a century of automobile manufacturing in Zwickau and is one of the city's most notable attractions.
Even after a day full of acknowledgement and appreciation for the Soldiers' life-saving actions on the day of the accident, they remained humble.
“I think anybody that joins the Army, no matter what job they do, they do it to help people,” Gomez said. “At one point, they felt like their calling was to help people. So, no matter what someone does in the Army, that’s what they’re here for: to help others.”
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