Sailors Awarded Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal After Saving a Man’s Life Onboard NSA Naples

It was roughly 11:00 a.m. on Sept. 8 when Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Xavier Escalante and Master-at-Arms 2nd Nikolas Bullock were waiting for two individuals to finish tying down a forklift on a semi-trailer and clear the area so they could begin a training onboard NSA Naples Capodichino.

While tying down the forklift, one man fell off the truck, hitting his head.
Escalante and Bullock sprang into action immediately.

“The first thing I thought when he fell was to get out of our unit [vehicle] and see if he was okay,” said Bullock.

“I asked him if he was okay. I saw his eyes roll to the back of his head, he wasn’t breathing and he started to turn purple. I started administering CPR [Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation] to him.” Escalante said.

After Escalante did about 10 sets of chest compressions, Bullock began to administer CPR to victim while Escalante went to call emergency dispatch. After Bullock administered one round of CPR the man regained conscious and began breathing.

Escalante and Bullock ensured the man stayed in place while emergency dispatch personnel were on the way to the scene.

In the meantime, Master-at-Arms Seaman Sarah Meader came with a first aid kit and stabilized the victim’s neck until Emergency Services arrived on scene.

Commanding Officer of NSA Naples, Capt. James Stewart recognized Escalante, Bullock, and Meader for selflessly responding and helping the victim regain consciousness.

"These Sailors embody the courage the Navy looks for in our fighting force," said Stewart, "Force readiness is such an important aspect of our mission because you never know when the call to action comes. It could be on a carrier in hostile waters or as you're driving down your home street. For that, I am proud for their performance and it was an honor to award them for their efforts."

NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility.

For more news about NSA Naples and the Sailors who serve onboard the installation, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples/.