This airman went in search of caffeine at 3 a.m. He ended up saving a life instead
"They said, 'you know what I'm not ok, I'm not good,' and then they just collapsed on the ground."
By David Roza May 11, 2021
Tech Sgt. John Logan Westlund was in the right place at the right time to help an airman in need while on his way to the store for a quick fix of caffeine. It was 3 a.m. at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and Westlund was working a mid-shift (the all-night duty that civilians might call a graveyard shift). A member of the 17th Operational Weather Squadron, Westlund helps provide forecasts for the millions of square miles covered by U.S. Pacific Command. But that night Westlund discovered a problem much closer to home when he went out to buy energy drinks from a convenience store.
While out on his caffeine run, Westlund noticed an airman sitting alone outside a bus stop. Westlund drove back to ask the airman if he was all right.
“The airman first said they were fine, then I asked again and they said, ‘you know what I’m not ok, I’m not good,’ and then they just collapsed on the ground,” said Westlund in a recent press release. “I got out of the truck and walked around and they were on the ground crying, and that’s when I called back here and talked to Tech. Sgt. [Zachary] Hargis.”
Hargis was the senior duty officer for Westlund’s squadron that evening. He met Westlund and the airman and they agreed that the best thing to do would be to call the airman’s first sergeant. While not an official rank, “first sergeant” is a special duty for non-commissioned officers who airmen can talk to about readiness, health, morale, welfare, and quality of life issues.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-energy-drink-hawaii/
