Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Gunterman, a 379th Air Expeditionary Wing fly-away security team leader, led authorities to a former airman's Florida home after he discovered his friend had overdosed on pills in a suicide attempt. Gunterman was working on homework and communicating with his mother through Facebook when he received a cryptic instant message from a former co-worker who recently had been discharged from the Air Force. "I want you to know that you are, inside and out, the most honest guy I have met," Gunterman's friend wrote. The airmen had become friends several months earlier at Kadena Air Base, Japan, where they were assigned to the same unit. Gunterman said his friend had difficulties after returning from an especially challenging deployment. Since coming home from Afghanistan, his friend had begun to drink heavily, became violent at times, and eventually was discharged due to disciplinary issues. Gunterman was puzzled by his friend's uncharacteristic declaration, and he tried to determine the reason for the unusual behavior. When his friend confessed that he had ingested a bottle of pills and had only about an hour left to live, Gunterman sprang into action. "I told him that I loved him like a brother, and so do a bunch of other people," Gunterman said. "I asked him why he would want to hurt us." After his friend failed to respond, Gunterman asked his friend for his phone number. His friend sent the number and asked that he call quickly. Gunterman could not reach his friend, though, so he reached out to a mutual friend, Air Force Senior Airman Phillip Sneed, who was online in Japan. "I told him everything, gave him the number, and he said he would call until [the friend] picked up," Gunterman said. "Now that I had some backup, I went to my chaplain and asked for her help." Air Force Chaplain (Maj.) Kristina Coppinger from the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing worked to help Gunterman in his quest to save his friend. "Senior Airman Gunterman and I had spoken in the past, so he felt comfortable coming to me when he hit a roadblock in his own efforts to help his friend," the chaplain said. "I tried to reach his first sergeant at Kadena to see if he had a home address, and then, we tried to reach a government relay station near West Palm Beach [in Florida] so that we might call the local police department. We also tried to find his friend's stateside address via the Internet." Realizing his friend was running out of time, Gunterman checked in with Sneed over the Internet. Sneed finally had been able to reach their friend over the phone, but said the friend had since passed out and he could hear him sleeping. "I knew he didn't have much time, so I got back on the Internet and searched for anything I could find on my friend," Gunterman said. "I found his hometown news release for graduating basic training, and it gave his parents’ names." Using search engines, Gunterman found an address for them. He called the local police, told them the story and gave them the address. The police dispatched a patrol car to the house, and Gunterman followed up with Sneed. "I told him that help was coming and to keep listening," Gunterman said. "About 10 minutes later, Airman Sneed said he could hear knocking at the door. I told him to scream as loud as he could because he might be on speaker phone. Then, he heard the door get knocked down and heard people asking, 'What pills did you take?'" Gunterman called the police department again and was told that his friend was going to be all right. "The biggest relief came upon me," he said. "The controller working the desk told me our friend would have not lived much longer if it wasn't for us." Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Craig Adams, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, said the airmen's actions epitomize the idea of what it means to be a modern day wingman. "This is what being an outstanding wingman is all about," Adams said. "The tenacious, resilient and resourceful effort by Airmen Gunterman and Sneed saved this young man. Their actions show how the younger generation of airmen can use new technologies to achieve the time-honored wingman concept." Coppinger echoed the chief's sentiments. "I believe Senior Airman Gunterman's efforts emphasize the wingman concept, because many others would have given up after hitting multiple roadblocks," the chaplain said. "Many would not have even put forth the effort to begin with. But he chose to get involved and would not give up until he exhausted every possibility. We could all use a friend like him." Since the incident, Gunterman's friend has received professional assistance. He has stopped drinking, and the airman said his friend is doing much better. Dec. 3, 2010: By Air Force Capt. Erick Saks- 455th Air Expeditionary Wing

This was the second re-enlistment for the 25-year-old Keyser, W.Va., native, currently assigned to Task Force Phoenix with the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.One of her re-enlistment options was a two-year stabilization at her home station, Fort Drum, N.Y. “I re-enlisted for the stabilization and because I plan on staying in for 20 years,â€Â said Hughes, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Task Force Phoenix communications and information management shop. “I serve in the Army for the protection of my family and my country.â€Â While this is her third deployment, it’s the first time Hughes has been deployed with her husband, Army Sgt. Anthony Hughes Jr., a native of Syracuse, N.Y., who is a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade intelligence clerk in Task Force Falcon. He said deploying with his wife makes some things easier and that he is proud of her and her sense of duty. “I am extremely proud of what my wife is doing for our country,â€Â he said. “She has decided to stay in the Army despite us having a child, and still wants to serve. I think that it takes a very dedicated person to do this when given the opportunity to get out because of us being [a] dual-military [couple].â€Â Hughes said she enjoys her job in the Army because it allows her the opportunity to meet and get to know a variety of people. As a signal support system specialist, she helps to set up the unit’s computer systems. She runs cables, connects printers, manages share portals and sets up radio sets. It is her responsibility to take care of most things that deal with communication. With more than seven years in the Army, she said, she is familiar with facing challenges and learning to overcome them. “I take challenges on with a positive attitude,â€Â she said. “If I don’t know how to fix it, I ask questions. I’m never afraid to ask questions.â€Â The couple’s 11-month-old daughter, Summer, with is staying with Autumn’s mother while the soldiers are deployed. “This is the first time I’ve had to [leave my daughter], and I’m going to admit it is hard, but I know what I’m doing for our daughter and one day she will understand why I had to do it,â€Â Hughes said. “There are times that are harder than some, but I have to push those feelings onto the back burner and keep my head in the game -– not only for myself, but for my soldiers.â€Â Dec. 2, 2010: By Army Spc. Amanda Brown- Task Force Phoenix

Army Staff Sgt. Jose Saenz is a senior instructor with 1st Army Division West’s 5th Armored Brigade. Along New Mexico’s southern border here, Saenz teaches the use of nonlethal weapons, riot control and other detainee operations tactics to deploying soldiers.This group of Michigan Army National Guard soldiers is deploying to Afghanistan in the next month, and Saenz knows what they learn in New Mexico will affect every mission they undertake overseas. After the training exercise was finished, he gathered the soldiers together to discuss what could be improved, what worked well and what they’d learned. A New Mexico native, Saenz has been in the military for 18 years, two of which he spent in Iraq. Saenz said his time overseas improved his skills as an instructor. “We actually had direct contact, not only with Iraqi nationals, but also detainees from all around,â€Â he said. “This kind of training was not around when I was a young soldier, and I’m glad I’ve been given the knowledge I have to show these troops out here.â€Â Saenz is passionate about his job. He laughs and jokes with the soldiers he trains, but also emphasizes how important their mission is.

 

[caption id="attachment_4333" align="alignleft" width="300"] Army Staff Sgt. Jose A. Saenz instructs soldiers from the Michigan Army National Guard’s 1776th Military Police Company on riot control procedures at Camp McGregor, N.M., Nov. 18, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Meredith Vincent[/caption] “He tells you what you need to work on, while at the same time telling you what you’re doing right,â€Â said Army Spc. Rebekah Hubers, with the 1776th Military Police Company from Taylor, Mich. “He really motivates us and keeps our energy high, but also keeps us focused on the task at hand.â€Â Army Spc. Luke Langmeyer, also with the 1776th MP Company, explained why Saenz’s training is so important. “He gets more in-depth,â€Â Langmeyer said. “I didn’t see that back at [advanced individual training]. It’s a good eye-opener … and re-establishes why we train the way we do.â€Â Army Staff Sgt. Thomas St. George, also a 5th Armored Brigade instructor, has worked with Saenz for nearly three years and said he has observed the qualities that make him a unique and capable teacher. “He makes the training fun, makes it realistic, … and the soldiers respond very well to him,â€Â St. George said. “We try to have a good sense of humor with our training. We believe that if we have a sense of humor with these guys, they’ll pay more attention.â€Â It is also important that the training is not confusing or too complicated, he added. “For some of these newer, younger soldiers, it’s a good hands-on experience,â€Â said Army Sgt. Scott Stonebreaker, from the 1776th MP Company. “It’s straightforward. It’s cut and dried. There’s no beating around the bush … and it’ll help them out a lot during detainee ops.â€Â The Michigan soldiers will be escorting and searching detainees in Afghanistan, and Saenz stressed that they must not let their guard down at any time. “From my experience out there, the detainees were very compliant,â€Â he said. “They were very kind and polite individuals. But, at the same time, at any minute they could explode and turn on you. You let your guard down, they’re going to take advantage of that.â€Â Saenz is very concerned with making sure he puts the proper information out to the soldiers and the trainees, St. George said. “He makes sure that he’s very clear with his instructions. He’s just an outstanding individual.â€Â Saenz has two daughters. While the 4-year-old doesn’t quite understand what Daddy does at work, Saenz said, the 8-year-old is very curious and proud of her father. “She wants to know everything I do out here,â€Â he said. “And I give her a good idea of what I do [and] how much fun I have.â€Â As Saenz took a look around the area, soldiers prepared for another training exercise, having made the adjustments that he’d suggested earlier. “It makes me feel very good,â€Â Saenz said. “I can literally sleep well at night. I can feel satisfied of the type of job I do out here. “I know that, at one point or another, I reached out to every one of them,â€Â he added. Dec. 1, 2010: By Army Spc. Meredith Vincent- 197th Public Affairs Detachment

Army Spc. Nathaniel Rockhill, a Hope, Ind., native assigned to the 38th Infantry Division, tested his chess-playing skills against military members from 14 other countries during the 21st NATO Chess Championship in Koege, Denmark, in October. More than 80 chess players competed in the event.Rockhill, an instrumentalist for the 38th Division Band, said he earned his seat after he competed at the 2010 All-Army Chess Championship in May. He was one of six top Army players to advance to the NATO tournament.“I had never competed at an international level, so I wasn't sure how I would do,â€Â said Rockhill, who placed 51st overall in the NATO event. Though he was slightly disappointed at his performance, he said, he did place higher than the tournament staff projected he would. “It was a great honor to represent the United States and the Army at such an event,â€Â he said. “Very few people get that chance, and I'm proud to have had this opportunity.â€Â Rockhill said the endurance and dedication required in chess relate to his service as a military member. “It requires extreme patience to succeed in chess,â€Â he said, noting that a single chess game can last five to six hours. “It also requires a fighting spirit and dedication. These attributes directly relate to my experience with the military. You don't get far in the Army if you're impatient and don't have dedication to what you do.â€Â Nov. 30, 2010: By Army Sgt. William E. Henry- Indiana National Guard