RAPID CITY, S.D. - Three South Dakota Army National Guardsmen enrolled in Officer Candidate School – an intense leadership training program designed to transform Soldiers into effective leaders – found themselves using all of the skills the program teaches just hours after being released from training last month.
Officer Candidates Richard Bauman, Travis Tipton and Paul Giovanetti were on their way home, to Pierre, S.D., when they approached an accident on Interstate 90.
The South Dakota Army National Guard presented the officer candidates with the South Dakota Distinguished Service Award on March 5 at Fort Meade.
The award cited that judgment and training were paramount while responding to the vehicle rollover. Their quick and calm response to a dangerous and hectic situation truly shows that they can work under pressure in adverse conditions. They demonstrated the Army Value of personal courage by facing fear, danger and adversity.
The South Dakota Distinguished Service Award is awarded to Soldiers with an extraordinary achievement that resulted in an accomplishment so exceptional and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart from his or her comrades or from other persons in similar circumstances.
“It’s a perfect example of what’s to come for future leaders for the South Dakota Guard,” said Maj. Stephen Sewell, OCS Company Commander for Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 196th Regiment.
“These guys think on their feet, they’re ready to serve their country as well as their community at a moment’s notice, and they’ll risk their lives and anything they can to help people out.”
A pickup had lost control about seven miles west of Kimball, S.D., slid into the median and rolled.
“The vehicle was upright, but we could tell by the damage done to the roof, that it had been involved in a rollover,” said Bauman, who works as a police officer in Pierre. “We could also tell by the body language of the passengers that this had just happened. They were visibly shaken and frantic. We had already stopped and then noticed an adult female lying face down in the median.”
Each candidate assessed the situation and immediately moved into the role they believed they would be the most beneficial.
“We all played an important role,” said Tipton, who works full-time as the unit administration sergeant. for Headquarters, Headquarters Company 152nd, Combat Sustainment Support Battalion in Pierre. “Bauman was instrumental in using his experience in law enforcement to direct the scene. He immediately called 911 and then started getting the information they would need to best handle the accident.”
Bauman also focused on the victim with the most serious injury, reporting her condition to the 911 dispatcher, rolling her onto her back and stabilizing her neck and back.
One other adult female and three children were also involved in the rollover and the other two officer candidates immediately recognized the need to assist them as well.
“Tipton focused his attention on the three children, applying first-aid to one and doing his best to keep the rest calm and keep their minds off of the condition of the victim,” Giovanetti said.
After handing off his first-aid kit from his rucksack to Tipton, Giovanetti, Tire/Lube Express manager at Wal-Mart in Pierre, put on a reflective vest from a patrol car and began directing traffic along I-90. The slippery conditions presented additional danger to those in the median responding to the accident.
“A lot of things were going on, and we just kept trying to process each event as it was happening, making sure that we were attending to whoever we could and help anyway we could,” said Tipton.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol announced later that a 32-year-old female died as a result of the rollover.
“It’s sad. We’re all fathers too,” said Bauman.
“Afterwards, it was pretty upsetting emotionally. We thought about the loss that the children would face and how that could have been any one of us – and it could have been our kids experiencing that loss.”
“I keep going through the events and wondering if there was anything else that we could have done, and I honestly don’t think there was,” Giovanetti said.
“I can only hope that by stopping, and doing what we did, that it will one day have a positive impact on the children involved. Maybe one day they will look back at this tragedy and remember that Soldiers stopped and did everything they could to help.”
The three officer candidates are scheduled to commission as second lieutenants in August.