Hospital Corpsmen Honored at the Angels of the Battlefield Awards Gala

FALLS CHURCH, VA, UNITED STATES

Story by Angela Ciancio

U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

FALLS CHURCH, VA (NNS) – Navy Medicine is proud to have Hospital Corpsman First Class Alan P. Aaron and Hospital Corpsman First Class Victor J. Desantis as the 2019 recipients of the Armed Services YMCA Angels of the Battlefield Award, October 29, 2019.

Rear Admiral Terry Moulton presented the award to HM1 Aaron.
Aaron was serving aboard the USS John S. McCain (DD0-S6) when the ship collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Singapore, August 21, 2017.

The morning of the collision, Aaron was just eating breakfast when he heard the loud sound and felt the shudder throughout the ship. He bravely ran toward the direction of the noise as he saw Sailors escaping the damage control locker through a scuttle.

After the order came to close all watertight doors, Aaron was instructed to go to the medical area. When he arrived, Aaron took control and initiated a mass casualty response, conducting an on-scene assessment, setting up triage and coordinating the movements of patients to casualty collection points on the ship.

Aaron performed advanced first aid, basic life support, critical care and other medical management functions on nearly 50 Sailors in the first five hours after the collision. He depleted his stock of antibiotics treating nearly one-third of the crew exposed to fuel and black water. His actions contributed not only to the health of the crew and his patients, but also the survivability of the ship.

HM1 Aaron was born and raised in southern California. He is currently assigned as an instructor at the Hospital Corpsman Basic Program in San Antonio. His personal awards and decorations include the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Next to receive the Angels of the Battelfeild award was HM1 Desantis.
On Aug. 12, 2018, while deployed in support of Operation Pacific Eagle, HM1 Desantis and Marine Special Operations Team 8142 was in direct support of a lethal advise and assist operation, when multiple host nation casualties were sustained with injuries including multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and blast injuries.

During stabilization of the causalities, Desantis quickly took control of the situation by successfully conducting a tubal thoracotomy for two of the critically injured patients. Desantis’ exemplary medical abilities and competent demeanor saved the lives of many that day.

DeSantis also helped to improve care. Realizing Camp Bautista Hospital had an ultrasound machine and no personnel were aware of its capabilities, DeSantis put together a seminar and instructed the staff on the operation and application of the device. He also spent 75 hours instructing base medics and infantry personnel in basic Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and lifesaving interventions. When a Philippine Force Recon Marine had an arterial bleed, this instruction helped with treatment in the field, successfully preserving the life.

DeSantis grew up in San Diego and enlisted in the Navy in 2005. His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Valor (two awards), and the Combat Action Ribbon.

The Angels of the Battlefield Awards Gala is an Armed Services YMCA event honoring the individual men and women on the front lines who are saving lives and have demonstrated extraordinary courage. The Armed Services YMCA recognizes a single individual from each military branch for their accomplishments.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provide health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.