Photo By Gino Mattorano | Col. Matthew Mapes, the Evans Army Community Hospital commander, far left, poses with...... read more read more
An Army Nurse assigned to Evans Army Community Hospital was awarded the Soldier’s Medal April 18, 2025 for his actions during a community sporting event in 2024.
The Soldier’s Medal is awarded to a service member who distinguished himself or herself in a non-combat situation.
Maj. Joshua Goldberg, who is the Department of Education chief at EACH, and his wife, Kaylanda Pinkerton, the chief nurse for the Mountain Post Birthing Center, were at their son’s football game last October, when the unthinkable happened – numerous gunshots rang out near the field and chaos ensued.
Goldberg says that when they realized what was happening, he and Pinkerton instructed the children to lie flat on the ground while they assessed the situation and then began shepherding children off the field to safety.
Once they had the children safely hidden behind an embankment, Goldberg, who began his career as a 68W Combat Medic, did the unthinkable – he began moving toward the sound of gunfire.
“My years of training as a medic kicked in, and I instinctively ran toward the scene of the incident looking for casualties,” Goldberg said. “When I arrived at the parking lot, I found a critically wounded individual with multiple gunshot wounds who was gasping for air and didn’t have a pulse.”
A bystander brought over first-aid equipment and Goldberg began lifesaving measures to stop the bleeding and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the victim. Pinkerton joined him shortly thereafter, and together they continued CPR for more than 20 minutes before paramedics arrived and took over care for the victim.
“Regrettably, the shooting victim succumbed to his wounds,” Goldberg said. “While we were waiting, we noticed that a relative of the victim was experiencing a severe asthma attack after witnessing such a traumatic incident. Fortunately, someone was able to locate some albuterol, which we were able to administer to the individual and the attack subsided.”
Goldberg says that it wasn’t just the training he and Pinkerton learned throughout their careers that enabled them to provide aid.
“It’s the strength of the team all around us who step up without hesitation in moments of crisis,” Goldberg said. “The teams we surround ourselves with can be an incredible source of strength and resilience, uplifting us even in the face of danger.”
The Soldier’s Medal was established in 1926, and since that time, fewer than 19,000 Soldiers have been awarded the medal. Of those, only about 300 Soldiers who are currently serving have been awarded the Soldier’s Medal.
“The Soldier’s Medal is considered the highest honor a Soldier can receive for valor outside of combat,” said Col. Matt Mapes, EACH commander, during the award ceremony. “Earning this medal is a testament to the bravery Josh [Goldberg] and Kaylanda [Pinkerton] demonstrated, but it’s also an example of the outstanding men and women we have here at EACH who provide exceptional care to our beneficiaries every day. And just like Josh and Kaylanda demonstrated, our service doesn’t end when we walk out those doors. I believe that our outstanding providers and teammates would rise to the occasion if faced with a similar circumstance.”
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2025 15:52 |
| Story ID: | 495911 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 611 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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