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188th Med Group members' swift actions save child

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Josh Lewis
  • 188th Wing Public Affairs Office
FORT SMITH, Arkansas --  The 188th Wing, Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Arkansas is currently transitioning from a manned flying mission to an intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and remotely piloted mission.

During the consolidated June and July Unit Training Assembly the wing held a Conversion Day ceremony June 7, 2014, inactivating the 188th Maintenance Group and standing up the new ISR Group and subordinate squadrons. More than 1,000 people attended the ceremony.

At the end of the ceremony, a two-year-old child was held up by his mother. The mother stated that he was choking. Tech. Sgt. Alison Gleason, 188th Medical Group administrator, was the first to respond and immediately jumped into action providing American Heart Association Foreign Body Airway Obstruction procedures.

"His face was kind of turning purple so I grabbed the child by the front of the collar, turned him over and gave him two blows between the shoulder blades," Gleason said.
Master Sgt. Che Kinnard, 188th Public Health technician, arrived shortly after to assist. He took the child and administered more back blows. Kinnard, who is also a cardio pulmonary resuscitation instructor, continued upward thrust maneuvers until the object was expelled from the child.

"I continued until he took in a deep breath, so he had some air exchange, said Kinnard. I waited to make sure he was breathing then handed him over to Doctor Hayes."
Lt. Col. William Hayes, 188th chief of aerospace medicine, examined the child and determined a hard candy was lodged in the airway. "The child's respirations were back at baseline and he was no longer in distress," Hayes said.

After Hayes determined the child could be returned to his mother, Col. Misty Zelk, 188th Medical Group commander, followed up with the family later and the child was acting normal. He was even able to enjoy in the family day picnic, which was held after the ceremony.

The 188th Medical Group is made up of highly trained dedicated members. During a normal UTA the 188th Medical Group conducts training and accomplishes a multitude of required medical checks for unit members. Cardio pulmonary resuscitation is required for wing medical group personnel.

"It's your typical lifesaving general course, but there are three levels of the course," Gleason said. "I'm and elementary teacher an we're not required to have CPR, but because I am here, [188th Medical Group], we have to and thankfully that helped."

188th Med Group members' swift actions save child

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Josh Lewis
  • 188th Wing Public Affairs Office
FORT SMITH, Arkansas --  The 188th Wing, Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Arkansas is currently transitioning from a manned flying mission to an intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance and remotely piloted mission.

During the consolidated June and July Unit Training Assembly the wing held a Conversion Day ceremony June 7, 2014, inactivating the 188th Maintenance Group and standing up the new ISR Group and subordinate squadrons. More than 1,000 people attended the ceremony.

At the end of the ceremony, a two-year-old child was held up by his mother. The mother stated that he was choking. Tech. Sgt. Alison Gleason, 188th Medical Group administrator, was the first to respond and immediately jumped into action providing American Heart Association Foreign Body Airway Obstruction procedures.

"His face was kind of turning purple so I grabbed the child by the front of the collar, turned him over and gave him two blows between the shoulder blades," Gleason said.
Master Sgt. Che Kinnard, 188th Public Health technician, arrived shortly after to assist. He took the child and administered more back blows. Kinnard, who is also a cardio pulmonary resuscitation instructor, continued upward thrust maneuvers until the object was expelled from the child.

"I continued until he took in a deep breath, so he had some air exchange, said Kinnard. I waited to make sure he was breathing then handed him over to Doctor Hayes."
Lt. Col. William Hayes, 188th chief of aerospace medicine, examined the child and determined a hard candy was lodged in the airway. "The child's respirations were back at baseline and he was no longer in distress," Hayes said.

After Hayes determined the child could be returned to his mother, Col. Misty Zelk, 188th Medical Group commander, followed up with the family later and the child was acting normal. He was even able to enjoy in the family day picnic, which was held after the ceremony.

The 188th Medical Group is made up of highly trained dedicated members. During a normal UTA the 188th Medical Group conducts training and accomplishes a multitude of required medical checks for unit members. Cardio pulmonary resuscitation is required for wing medical group personnel.

"It's your typical lifesaving general course, but there are three levels of the course," Gleason said. "I'm and elementary teacher an we're not required to have CPR, but because I am here, [188th Medical Group], we have to and thankfully that helped."