Eglin Airman exemplifies 'portrait of courage'

  • Published
  • By Sara Vidoni
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  When Cadet 1st Lts. Alison Nordlander, Ashlyn McNeely and Quianna Samuels made their weekly visit to a Texas quick stop for kolaches and gas April 17, 2013, they had no idea the next four hours would change their lives forever.

Nordlander, now a commissioned 2nd lieutenant in the 96th Medical Group, and her friends were driving back to their nursing school in Dallas after attending their weekly ROTC leadership class at Baylor University in Waco, when they heard a loud explosion.

"We pulled up to the 'Czech Stop,' shut the door and then this huge boom went off," said the 22-year-old. "We couldn't see it immediately, but when we went around the building, we saw a huge mushroom cloud in the distance. The Boston bombings had just happened and we didn't know what the nature of the explosion was at the time. We didn't think at all. We were in our ABU's and knew there was something we could do - we took off running."

The blast was an ammonium nitrate explosion at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas. Fifteen people were killed and more than 160 were injured in the explosion that devastated the community. The cadets were a mile and a half away from the explosion.

"As we ran down the street, destruction was everywhere," said Nordlander. "We were told there was a nursing home right next to the explosion that needed help, so we jumped into the back of a truck and got there as quickly as we could. The nursing home's roof caved in, the windows were completely blown out, sprinklers were going off and since it was next to the plant all you could see was black smoke and fire."

McNeely and Nordlander immediately began moving residents out of the home to safety.

"The first room we arrived at had a 104-year-old woman stuck in bed," said Nordlander, who's now a labor and delivery nurse here. "Ashlyn and I used our ABU's to brush the glass out of her window and climbed in. We used a mattress to create a board over the windowsill and hoisted the lady out of the building, using the mattress to pull her outside."

Nordlander and McNeely pulled approximately 15 residents who required assistance or were unable to get out on their own out of the nursing home . As some of the first medical responders on site, they then set up a triage to begin assessing injuries.

"At first we didn't have any supplies so we made do with what we could, we wrapped one lady's wounded head in a tablecloth and told the residents to use their T-shirts to prevent inhaling the smoke," said the Arizona native.

The cadets continued to provide triage care based on the extent of injuries when Nordlander came across a 94-year-old man named John.*

"When I first saw John, he was sitting in his wheelchair looking at me with blood all over his head and neck. His face was bruised and his eye was swollen shut, so something clearly hit him, but he said he felt fine. A short time later, I looked back to check on him, and he was slouched over in his chair."

After trying to get a response, Nordlander unlocked the wheels of his wheelchair and placed him on the ground as gently as possible. As soon as she rolled him over, he vomited.

"I knew he probably had some kind of serious head injury, she said.  "I took off his shirt and when I looked at his abdomen it was distended and black and blue so I knew there was internal bleeding as well."

With little access to supplies, Nordlander laid him against herself until someone brought over a backboard to keep him rolled on his side. She stayed with him the rest of the evening. All of the residents including John were eventually moved to the main triage site at a nearby football field. Upon arriving, John was the first person air-evacuated out.

During that time, a second explosion occurred at the plant.

"The only time I felt any fear all night was when the second explosion went off," said Nordlander. "You could feel the heat coming from the blast. It was the first time I thought maybe we shouldn't be here."

A number of firefighters died as a result of the second blast.

Once at the football field, the cadets regrouped and decided they needed medical attention of their own. Four hours later, all three were treated for chemical inhalation and McNeely for a broken foot that had just previously healed.

After the incident, the cadets began to reflect on the ordeal and the circumstances that put them in a place to help.

"We couldn't help but think, we were meant to be there when it happened," said Nordlander. "We had just finished field-training where we trained for explosions so we did not think twice about what we needed to do. After this, I knew nursing was my calling."

The cadets attended the memorial ceremony and walked in the parade with the first responders.

"We watched those firefighters lose their lives in the second explosion, and it was so hard for us to deal with that," said Nordlander. "Seeing the community come together and the pride they had for each other was so touching. It helped a lot in our healing process."

Nordlander graduated in May 2013 and arrived at Eglin in September. Shortly thereafter, she was notified that she was one of 22 Airmen recognized in this year's Air Force Portraits in Courage series which highlights the extraordinary acts of Airmen who put their lives on the line to save others during dangerous situations.

"We are very proud of Lt. Nordlander; she is an outstanding example of service before self," said Col. Gianna Zeh, the 96th Medical Group commander. "We are excited to have her on our team here at Eglin Hospital and look forward to her serving our patients on labor and delivery."

For Nordlander, this event is one that will continue to motivate her passion for the medical field.

"I have found my calling in being a nurse and this experience solidified it for me," said Nordlander. "This is where God wants me to be. I love being a nurse and working with the patients. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."


*Resident's name has been changed for confidentiality.