Battlefield angels are military's saving grace

Battlefield angels are military's saving grace
Elkton National Guardsman and medic is among 10 honorees
By Mary Gail Hare, The Baltimore Sun
2:39 p.m. EDT, April 2, 2011

Sgt. Antoine A. King, 41, lives in Elkton, works for the City of Havre de Grace and has spent much of the past decade serving as a medic with the Army National Guard.

He was one of 10 medical personnel, representing all branches of the military, honored as Angels of the Battlefield at the fifth annual Armed Services YMCA gala Wednesday in Washington.

"I really was quite surprised to receive the award and honored to represent the Army National Guard medics at this event," King said.

Each year, the ASYMCA, which has offered support and relief to soldiers and their families since the Civil War, asks the various branches to nominate their most outstanding corpsmen for the award.

"These are medics who are putting their own lives on the line to bring home their comrades," said Michael J. Landers, chief operations officer for the nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Va. "Every year, we hear incredible instances of recovery because a wounded soldier was found in the field on time. It is amazing how quickly these medics react."

King, the only Maryland honoree, has served more than 14 years and completed three deployments, including tours in Nicaragua and Iraq.

"I joined later in life at 28," he said. "I just looked around and decided it was time for me to give back. The Guard is a great way to know you are helping others. As medics, you almost feel you are bringing people back to life."

In the late 1990s, few guardsmen ever expected to leave home on long deployments, he said. Many joined for the extra pay and benefits as much as the experience, but "that all changed after 9/11," he said. "Now nearly every Guard unit in the country has gone on deployment."

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Battlefield angels are military's saving grace
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