FORT STEWART, Ga. — Six brave soldiers who responded to the chaos and gunfire during the mass shooting at Fort Stewart on Wednesday were each awarded a Meritorious Service Medal.
On Thursday morning, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll visited Fort Stewart for the commendation ceremony. The soldiers’ heroic actions involved both neutralizing the shooter and administering emergency medical care to several wounded individuals.
Below are the names of the soldiers honored:
- Master Sgt. Justin Thomas
- 1st Sgt. Joshua Arnold
- Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor
- Staff Sgt, Robert Pacheco
- Sgt. Eve Rodarte
- Sgt. Aaron Turner
“It might take some time for this event to sink in, and that’s understandable,” Secretary Driscoll told the soldiers. “We appreciate everything you’ve done, and we will support all of you as your injured colleagues heal and rejoin the ranks.”
Sergeant Quornelius Radford, 28, is accused of using a personal firearm to shoot five fellow soldiers on base. The prompt response of the honored soldiers likely prevented further harm.
“What I can say without hesitation is that these soldiers’ quick actions under intense pressure and danger absolutely saved lives,” Secretary Driscoll stated. “Despite being unarmed, they confronted and subdued an armed individual who was actively targeting their comrades.”
According to officials, Sgt. Turner was the first to tackle Sgt. Radford. Turner shared with News 3 that he attempted to calm the situation once Radford was restrained.
“I had no feelings at that point… It was just understanding what’s the reason. Why are you trying to do this? Basically, why did it have to end up going down like this? I’ve already lost teammates during my career, and the fact that I just lost my mom recently, I’m not trying to go through the fact of losing him or possibly any other soldiers,” Sgt. Turner said.
The other soldiers immediately started taking care of the casualties, using their training they had developed over years and years. Lt. Col. Mike Sanford, battalion commander, said he’s never been prouder.
“We all take an oath, foreign or domestic, to support the constitution. I was very grateful that we have incredible soldiers to do what they do. They did it without even thinking. It was just second nature,” Lt. Col. Sanford said.
