Email   Print   Share By Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious May 24, 2012 | Living

Sergeant First Class Siebe Van Staveren, Cpl. Jeffrey Van Twuijver and Cpl. Bas Draaier (left to right), Dutch Soldiers with the 11th Air Mobile Brigade from the Netherlands attached to 21st Air Cav. Bde., were recognized by Colonel Hersey, 21st Air Cav. Bde. commander, May 11. The Dutch Soldiers rendered life saving medical aid to an elderly woman who collapsed in a supermarket April 21. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Three Dutch soldiers were recognized May 17 for their life-saving efforts to aid an elderly woman in medical distress at the Clear Creek Exchange last month.

Sergeant 1st Class Siebe Van Staveren, Cpl. Jeffrey Van Twuijver and Cpl. Bas Draaier, all assigned to Company D, 11th Air Mobility Brigade (Air Assault), Royal Netherlands Army, received certificates of appreciation in recognition of their efforts presented by Col. Neil Hersey, commander, 21st Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat).

The three Soldiers are completing a five-week training rotation to Fort Hood under the brigade’s Foreign Military Training program.

“You were at the right place, at the right time to take control of the situation,” Hersey said at the awards ceremony held outside the Dutch hangar on West Fort Hood. “Your military training served you well and you exemplified the professionalism of soldiers of the Netherlands.”

The incident occurred shortly after they arrived at Fort Hood. A second, strikingly similar incident at the same place occurred a few weeks later and some of the same Soldiers assisted then, as well.

“It was our first week here and we were shopping, scattered throughout the store,” Van Staveren, a registered nurse/tactical medic in the Netherlands, said. “We heard a call over the intercom that they needed medical personnel to report to the information stand.”

Four Dutch troops responded, including Sgt. Maj. Gert-Jan Van Riel, who was not at the ceremony.

Once at the information area, the four were led to an office where they found an 89-year-old female in medical distress.

“She was in respiratory and cardiac distress, so we checked her

vitals and called (emergency medical services),” Van Twuijver, a combat medic, said. “She was pale

and her eyes were fixed at pin points.”

The woman was responsive, so the Dutch got a medical history and kept her Family calm while waiting for the ambulance. When EMS arrived, the soldiers helped with the hand-off of the patient and assisted with getting her into the ambulance.

They were later told that they helped save her life.

“We were there first,” Draaier, also a combat medic, said. “It was good that we were there.”

The Soldiers said the military police officer who showed up for the call took down their information, but they didn’t hear anything else about the incident.

They were pleasantly surprised when they were recognized in front of the Dutch formation May 17.

“This was a bit too much,” Draaier said about the ceremony. “We just did our jobs. We do our job, that’s it.”

In the Netherlands, the Soldiers explained, Dutch medics are rarely, if ever, singled out for performing medical assistance. It is, simply, their job.

“Medical military personnel in the Netherlands are exempted from so many medals and awards,” Van Staveren said. “This is very exceptional for us.”

Van Staveren could be the exception to the rule for Dutch medics, as the certificate is the second recognition he has received in the past few weeks.

Last week, the RN medic was in the Netherlands to receive the Red Cord of Honor, an honor reserved for those who conduct lifesaving efforts in combat, and an honor not normally bestowed on medical soldiers. Van Staveren and two fellow Dutch medics were awarded the Red Cord of Honor for their actions in Afghanistan two years ago.