Airman saves wingman halfway from around the world

Published Nov. 29, 2010
By Capt. Erick Saks
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Police are crediting the quick actions of a security forces Airman assigned here with saving the life of a former Airman living halfway around the world.

Senior Airman Jordan Gunterman, a 379th Air Expeditionary Wing fly away security team leader working at Bagram, led authorities to his the former coworker's Florida home after he discovered his friend had overdosed on pills in a suicide attempt.

Airman Gunterman was working on homework and communicating with his mother through Facebook when he received a cryptic instant message from a former coworker who had recently been discharged from the Air Force.

"I want you to know that you are inside and out, the most honest guy I have met," wrote Airman Gunterman's friend.

The Airmen had become friends several months earlier at Kadena Air Base, Japan, where they were assigned to the same unit. According to Gunterman, his friend had difficulties after returning from an especially difficult deployment. Since coming home from Afghanistan, his friend had begun to drink heavily becoming violent at times, and he eventually was discharged due to disciplinary issues.

Airman 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 ingested a bottle of pills and had only about an hour left to live, Airman Gunterman sprung into action.

"I told him that I loved him like a brother and so do a bunch of other people," said Airman Gunterman. "I asked him why he would want to hurt us."

After his friend failed to respond, Airman Gunterman asked his friend for his phone number. His friend sent the number and asked that he call quickly. Airman Gunterman could not reach his friend though, so he reached out to a mutual friend, Senior Airman Phillip Sneed, who was online in Japan.

"I told him everything, gave him the number, and he said he would call until he picked up," Gunterman added. "Now that I had some back up, I went to my chaplain and asked for her help."

Chaplain (Maj.) Kristina Coppinger, 455th AEW, worked to assist Airman 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," said the chaplain. "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 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, Airman Gunterman checked in with Airman Sneed over the Internet. The Airman had finally been able to reach their friend over the phone, but said he had since passed out and 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," Airman 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 Airman Gunterman followed up with Airman Sneed.

"I told him that help was coming and to keep listening," Gunterman said. "About 10 minutes later, 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?'"

Airman Gunterman again called the police department and was told that his friend was going to be alright.

"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."

Chief Master Sgt. Craig Adams, 455th AEW 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," said Chief Adams. "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."

Chaplain 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.