WIESBADEN, Germany -- When a suspect began shooting on a bus at Frankfurt International Airport March 2, killing and wounding several Airmen, first responders were quickly at the scene.
Among those was a Wiesbaden Army chaplain who was asked by his Air Force counterparts in Ramstein to assist wounded Airmen undergoing treatment at Frankfurt’s University Hospital.
“I was the on-call chaplain in Wiesbaden,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Andrew Shriver, 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion chaplain. After being notified about the airport shooting and reporting to the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden’s Emergency Operations Center, Shriver received a call from U.S. Air Forces Europe Command Chaplain (Col.) G. Scott Henry asking for assistance.
“My assistant and I went out to the clinic and had to work with the Polizei to show who we were,” Shriver said, explaining that security was tight at the Frankfurt hospital. “I thought they were doing a fantastic job. That was impressive to see " that they (German law enforcement and medical officials) cared just as much” as their U.S. counterparts.
The Wiesbaden Army chaplain spent about a week and a half visiting the wounded Airmen and “ministering to the families. I encouraged them and let Chaplain Henry know what I was doing,” said Shriver.
Shriver, who worked in civilian hospitals before entering the military and served for 15 months in Afghanistan as an engineer chaplain, credited his past experience and clinical pastoral education extern training he received in Fort Lewis, Wash., with preparing him for the airport shooting response.
“Andrew does real well in knowing how to talk to the service members and their families,” said 30th Medical Command Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Peter Brzezinski, who helped teach the four-month-long CPEE training, which deals with trauma and injuries in a military medical setting.
“That was the neat thing about coming into the Army,” said Shriver. “I enjoy helping people in a medical setting.”
“Chaplain Shriver responded to the Frankfurt Airport shooting in a truly altruistic fashion without any guidance,” said Lt. Col. Jason Wieman, 421st MMB commander, during an award presentation at the battalion headquarters on Wiesbaden Army Airfield June 1.
Shriver was presented with an Air Force Achievement Medal and certificate signed by Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, USAFE commander, by the USAFE command chaplain for his actions after the airport shooting.
“We were having a bad day over at the Frankfurt Airport,” said Henry during the award presentation, “and we wanted to get people over there quickly.”
Calling Shriver a “critical link” and his actions “very meaningful,” Henry praised the support provided by the entire Wiesbaden garrison chaplaincy, led by Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Stephen Demien.
“We talked to the EOC and got some great help from your team. Thank you for giving your assets to us. … I learned what ‘hooah’ was that day,” Henry said.
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