An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Jan. 8, 2021

Aussie native is Washington National Guard flight paramedic

By Jonathan Perdelwitz 135th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – The sound of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter rotors thrummed overhead as strong winds rocked the aircraft. On the ground, Sgt. Abraham Boxx, a critical care flight paramedic with the 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation Battalion, Washington Army National Guard, prepared Soldiers for evacuation during dynamic hoist training at Camp Bondsteel on Jan. 2, 2021. Over the noise, Boxx remained calm and gave clear instructions to the simulated evacuees. Moments later, the crew chief started an electric winch on the aircraft, lifting the Soldiers into the air.

Boxx is deployed with Regional Command-East, Kosovo Force 28, in support of Operation Joint Guardian. KFOR is a NATO-led, multinational organization charged with maintaining peace and stability in Kosovo. Boxx said treating patients in the air is the pinnacle achievement of his emergency medical services career.

But the road leading him to a career in the skies began long before he joined the National Guard. When Boxx was a child growing up in Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia, his family suffered a medical emergency. The medical personnel who responded made a lasting impression on him.

“I remember seeing their professionalism, the calmness they brought and their demeanor,” said Boxx. “That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to pay it forward.”

Jesse Boxx, his father, served with the 213th Assault Support Helicopter Company, U.S. Army, during the Vietnam War. After his father’s service in Vietnam, Boxx’s mother was offered a job in Australia. Seeing an opportunity for adventure, his family moved in 1977 to New South Wales, where Abraham Boxx was born.

Boxx grew up hearing his father's stories and carried on his legacy of service when he joined the Australian Army in 2007. During his 14 years in EMS, Boxx has accomplished much, but his focus has remained the same. Whether driving an ambulance or performing critical care tasks during a medical evacuation, he's dedicated to helping those in need.

“Whenever you see the military anywhere, a lot of people focus on the negativity or fighting,” said Boxx. “For me, it was always about helping people and having a skill and a trade that went beyond firing a weapon system.”

Boxx's time in the Australian Army included deployments as a combat medic to Malaysia, Singapore and Pakistan. But he said one mission to the Solomon Islands attached to an infantry unit was an eye-opener: finding a war criminal in the area. They gained support from the local population by offering to assist a clinic.

The infantry soldiers rebuilt the facility's roof and installed a water tank to help the village gain access to clean water. Meanwhile, Boxx ran the clinic with help from combat first aid soldiers and a local nurse, treating wounds ranging from gunshots to severe burns.

“It was an amazing opportunity for not only myself but for some of the enlisted combat first aiders to really utilize their medical skills,” said Boxx.

After serving his time in the Australian Army and building up experience in ambulatory medical services, Boxx moved to the U.S. in 2016 and got certified as a flight paramedic. Just a year later, Boxx donned a different uniform and joined the U.S. Army National Guard. He moved to Washington state, where he joined the 1-168th GSAB as a critical care flight paramedic. He also continued to work as a civilian paramedic for Life Flight Network.

“Sgt. Boxx is perhaps the most qualified medic I’ve ever seen,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Wentlandt, acting first sergeant of the 1-168th GSAB. “He’s an awesome role model to other medics. He’s got a great demeanor. He’s a great teacher.”

The unit’s mission during KFOR 28 is to provide interfacility transport of wounded or ill Soldiers serving under NATO. Since less than 3 percent of their unit has deployed, said Wentlandt, Boxx’s vast military and civilian EMS experience has proven valuable in Kosovo. While very few incidents occur that warrant emergency flight evacuations, Boxx is grateful for the opportunity to lend a helping hand when needed.

“The relief on people’s faces when we land when they know higher-level care has gotten there or somebody is there to help them gets me every time,” Boxx said. “I never get sick of that feeling.”

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert Williams, right, Washington Army National Guard, receives the Recruiting and Retention Noncommissioned Officer of the Year award from Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard, at the Director’s Strength Maintenance Awards Conference in Houston March 14, 2024. The conference enabled recruiting and retention Soldiers to network, exchange best practices, and honor the Army National Guard’s best recruiters.
Army Guard Recognizes Top Recruiting, Retention Soldiers
By Staff Sgt. Daisy Broker, | March 28, 2024
HOUSTON – More than 40 Soldiers in pristine World War II-style Army green dress uniforms lined the wall of a hotel ballroom as Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard, recognized their recruiting and...

Sgt. 1st Class Sotheara Chum, readiness and operations noncommissioned officer with the Special Operations Detachment - Pacific, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, Washington Army National Guard, at Exercise Cobra Gold 2024, March 4, 2024. Cobra Gold is the largest joint exercise in mainland Asia and is a concrete example of the strong alliance and strategic relationship between Thailand and the United States.
Cobra Gold 24 Brings Washington Guardsman Back to Roots
By Sgt. Alec Dionne, | March 5, 2024
CAMP RED HORSE, Thailand – Sgt. 1st Class Sotheara Chum has spent time as a Green Beret and an Army Ranger, with deployments worldwide. This time, Chum is training in Thailand at Exercise Cobra Gold 2024, but unlike previous...

Washington National Guard members train to prepare for wildfire season at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Interagency Wildland Fire Training Academy near Roy, Wash., April 30, 2023. The training included familiarization with hand tools, line construction and tactics, and fire shelter deployment and entrapment avoidance.
Washington Army Guard to get new Firefighting Unit
By Joseph Siemandel, | Sept. 28, 2023
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Beginning next fiscal year, the Washington Army National Guard will have a new unit primarily focused on firefighting. “The addition of engineer firefighting teams will provide tactical firefighting...