Photo By William Dodge | PENSACOLA, Fla. – Mr. Felix Perez, a civilian instructor assigned to Navy Service...... read more read more
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Chief Yeoman Jason Hines and Mr. Felix Perez received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Civilian Service Commendation Medal respectively, on March 20, 2025, for their heroic actions in saving a fellow shipmate's life.
The Navy's emphasis on constant readiness and emergency response training proved vital when Sailors and civilian personnel sprang into action to save a contractor's life at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Corry Station on December 18, 2024.
Chief Hines, who serves as an instructor for the Navy Instructor Training Course (NITC) and is assigned to Navy Service Support Advanced Training Command (NSSATC), demonstrated the kind of quick thinking and leadership that exemplifies the Navy's commitment to readiness when he responded to a severe medical emergency involving a contractor on base.
“I’m just glad we were in the right place at the time to give help to where it was needed,” said Hines.
The incident occurred when a contractor suffered severe scalp injuries while working with an air handler unit. Upon hearing calls for emergency assistance, Hines immediately took charge of the scene, coordinating a rapid response that included establishing clear communication with emergency services and ensuring proper medical care was administered.
Hines' swift action in requesting assistance from Mr. Perez, a former Hospital Corpsman with extensive medical experience who now serves as a civilian NITC instructor, demonstrated the importance of knowing and utilizing all available resources during an emergency. Their combined efforts, along with those of junior Sailors on the scene, exemplified the Navy's emphasis on teamwork and emergency preparedness.
“After more than 28 years standing the watch as a hospital corpsman, one of my passions is caring for people, specifically in a medical environment,” said Perez. “After hearing there was an emergency and calling a training time out while working with my students, taking action seemed to come naturally. My two worlds converged as a prior corpsman and now NITC instructor and I’m thankful the Navy prepared us to offer the support needed to save someone’s life and ensure she had the help needed to fight another day.”
Despite challenging circumstances, including the injured colleague's serious condition and initial difficulties in directing emergency services to the exact location, the team's decisive actions and clear communication helped ensure the contractor received the necessary medical attention in time.
“YNC Hines and Mr. Perez are the epitome of what NITC instructors and military professionals should be, and I’m grateful that their swift actions prevented a severe accident from turning fatal,” said Cmdr. Sean Kearney, NSSATC’s commanding officer.
The incident serves as a powerful reminder of why the Navy maintains its rigorous training standards and emphasizes constant readiness across all installations and personnel levels.
As part of Naval Education and Training Command’s (NETC) Center for Service Support (CSS), NSSATC’s mission is to deliver advanced education and training opportunities that build personal, professional, and service support competencies to achieve fleet readiness. NSSATC is responsible for the Advanced Administration courses, Advanced Logistics courses, Navy Instructor Training Course (NITC), Command Career Counselor (CCC), Command Managed Equal Opportunity (CMEO) Manager, Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor (DAPA), and Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Managers and Supervisors.
NITC is a comprehensive training program designed to develop entry-level instructors for naval training environments. Through a progressive series of activities, students master fundamental instructional techniques across multiple teaching modalities, including demonstration, facilitation, and traditional lesson delivery. The curriculum incorporates modern approaches such as active learning, collaborative exercises, and team training in diverse settings while preparing instructors to adapt to emerging technologies.
CSS provides Sailors in the Naval Administration, Chaplaincy, Command Support Program Management, Human Resources, Logistics, Maintenance Coordination, Media, and Security Management communities the necessary professional skills, knowledge, and education to support the fleet’s warfighting mission.
Learn more about NSSATC here: https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSSATC/.
To learn more about CSS follow here: https://www.netc.navy.mil/CSS/.
| Date Taken: | 03.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2025 09:33 |
| Story ID: | 493552 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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