On Wednesday, 28-year active-duty Army Sergeant Quornelius Radford opened fire at Fort Stewart in Georgia, leaving five people wounded.
During a presser following the incident, Brigadier General John Lubas noted that fellow soldiers tackled Radford as soon as he opened fire. These heroes prevented untold additional violence.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll honored the six soldiers, First Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Sergeant Aaron Turner, and Sergeant Eve Rodarte, on Thursday at Fort Stewart.
Here are the six soldiers honored by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll today at Fort Stewart: First Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Sergeant Aaron Turner, and Sergeant Eve Rodarte. pic.twitter.com/bVQ2NFfJi2
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Sergeant Turner spoke with the Associated Press and shared that his Army training took over as he confronted the accused shooter Quornelius Radford.
Sgt. Aaron Turner told AP he tried talking to the shooter and calming him down to distract him from targeting “leadership.” Turner then made the heroic move to grab the weapon.
“I ended up taking charge by grabbing the barrel and the extended magazine at that point,” Turner told the AP.
“Pretty much, training just ended up kicking in at that point. It wasn’t about my life at that point, it was about the soldiers and the personnel. Making sure they get out safely.”
When Army Sgt. Aaron Turner heard gunshots at Fort Stewart echoing inside his battalion headquarters building on Wednesday, he ran toward them, tackling the shooter and knocking the pistol away from him, officials at the Georgia post said.
Another soldier, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, piled on top of Turner, pinning down the assailant and ending the shooting that left five other soldiers wounded. Unarmed and without protective gear, the noncommissioned officers held down the accused shooter — Sgt. Quornelius Radford — until law enforcement officers arrived and arrested him.
Turner and the other five soldiers who helped stop the violent rampage were awarded Meritorious Service Medals during an award ceremony recognizing their bravery.
Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll presented the Meritorious Service Medal to several soldiers assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, during an award ceremony today at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, to recognize their bravery in putting an end to… pic.twitter.com/RGFvagQhz0
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In his remarks, Secretary Driscoll noted, “I, and the administration, and President Trump could not be more proud of them. They are everything that is good about this nation. They are the best among us in our country, they are the best among us in the Army.”
