Two Acadiana Louisiana guardsmen were recognized for heroism recently.
Louisiana Army National Guardsmen Sgt. Christian M. Jaubert, a native of Broussard, and Staff Sgt. Dillon J. Mandeville, a native of New Iberia,received the Louisiana National Guard Distinguished Service Cross on May 31 during a Lafayette awards ceremony.
The men received the cross, which is awarded to a LANG soldier who distinguishes himself or herself by extraordinary heroism, for a September 14, 2021 incident.
"The Soldiers distinguished themselves while responding to a near fatal vehicle accident. Their quick thinking and decisive action saved the life of one victim and mitigated the impact of this traumatic event for several others,” said Maj. Gen. D. Keith Waddell, adjutant general of LANG, in the award order. “Victims and families affected by this event will be forever grateful, and their impact will not be soon forgotten."
Both men said their training prepared them to help.
“Most people would have panicked in that situation, but because of the training I have, I knew what to do; there was no hesitation to assist the civilians,” said Jaubert. “I feel like it was kind of my responsibility to help in that situation because I had the knowledge, and I feel like God put me in the right place at the right time. I was glad that I was there to do that.”
“I didn’t know the extent of the injuries the pedestrians sustained, but I did know I needed to respond immediately. With the multitude of trainings I received in the Louisiana National Guard I knew I could effectively perform triage safely until paramedics arrived," Mandeville said.
“The CLS [Combat Life Saver] training classes teach you skills that help instilled a sense of calmness in the mist of chaos and to be a calming voice for the victims,” said Mandeville. “It was a comforting feeling knowing that the kids were fine.”
