HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- On what seemed like an ordinary November evening, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col Brandon Taylor, 29th Attack Squadron commander, and his wife were on their way to deliver care packages to the newest airmen and their families in the 29th ATKS.  While en route to another house in Alamogordo, New Mexico, they stopped at a stop sign, waiting for traffic to clear; that’s when something unexpected happened.  Just a few feet from their vehicle, there was a car wreck. Despite the shock of witnessing the accident, Taylor and his wife quickly pulled over to see if they could assist. “As soon as I opened the door, I could hear the driver screaming from the car,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I ran over anyway to help.” The vehicle was severely damaged, and Taylor had to act fast.   “Once I got there, I realized it was just the driver, but he was pinned inside,” he said. “The engine compartment had shifted due to the crash, which caused his leg to fracture.” The driver from the other car ran over to help Taylor, and together, they worked to help the man.  Taylor and the other driver managed to free the man’s leg and pull him out of the vehicle. “Once we got him out, we carried him to the side of the road,” he said. “I checked his leg and it was in really bad shape; I then began assessing for other injuries. I treated him for shock and worked to stabilize his leg while the other driver called for emergency services.” Taylor continued to provide care until emergency responders arrived and helped paramedics load the injured man onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. “The worst part was not knowing what I was going to find. All I knew was that he was in a lot of pain from the screams I heard,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I just wanted to help. We have more training than the average person, so I want to use that training to serve our community.” Taylor expressed gratitude for the Air Force’s Tactical Casualty Combat Care training, which allowed him to approach the situation with the capabilities to provide much-needed aid. “I think people want to help, but they might not always know how,” he said. “With training like TCCC, we have a solid foundation to handle stressful situations.” His experience as an MQ-9 Reaper pilot requires him to mentally process a checklist of actions to take whenever he finds himself in a high-stress scenario. Because of that experience, he could provide quick and effective care to the driver.  However, not just the Air Force prepared Taylor for this moment. Before joining the Air Force, he served as a rescue swimmer in the U.S. Navy. “With the Navy training, it was all about being a first responder and taking those initial life-saving actions to stabilize someone and get them to more advanced medical care,” he explained. “In this case, a combination of both my Navy and Air Force training helped me.” Taylor feels that offering a variety of first aid and emergency response training could better prepare airmen with the skills they need to respond effectively in a crisis. “At the end of the day, don’t underestimate what you’re capable of,” he said. “You might think someone else will step in, or that they’ll have more experience, but sometimes you could be the one with the right training. No one expects you to be a doctor or an EMT, but the small things you do can make a difference until help arrives.”