Space NCO wins AF safety award—saved child’s life, teaches others how to do the same

Published March 21, 2017
By Dave Grim
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Air Force Chief of Safety commended the efforts of an Air Force Space Command Airman who turned a personal tragedy into a public service that has helped make hundreds of children safer on the road.

Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Andrew Mueller awarded the “Ground Safety Well Done Award” to Staff Sgt. Ashley Green, who is assigned to the Advanced Space Operations School at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Maj. Gen. David Thompson and Chief Master Sgt. Brendan Criswell, vice commander and command chief of Air Force Space Command, surprised Green at her workplace to present her with the award.

Green earned the award for her actions following a life-changing event in February 2014.

Green was pregnant and went into labor. Green and her husband were rushing to the hospital with their 3-year-old daughter in the back seat.

“We ended up getting T-boned,” said Green, ”I remember seeing my daughter in the accident…the way she looked. I remember getting to the hospital and being told nothing other than that my daughter was in good hands, and they were doing everything they could.”

Everyone involved in the accident was seriously injured, but Green’s daughter was hurt the worst.

“The first responders stated if my daughter hadn’t been in her seat correctly, she wouldn’t have made it,” said Green. Her son, who was delivered by emergency caesarian section, also survived.

Weeks later, Green had her grandmother get her son’s car seat checked by a certified inspector before she could take the baby home from the hospital. In the months that followed, Green says she had her children’s car seats checked dozens of times to make herself feel better. At a child safety event, she found out that anyone could get trained and certified as a child passenger safety technician.

With seeing the firsthand results of how a properly used car seat could save a child’s life, Green got certified in September 2014. Since then, she’s been teaching new parents about car seat safety.

According to her citation, in 2016 she put in 400 hours of community service, teaching new parents about proper car seat installation and usage, which dramatically increased the safety of 654 children. She also helped raise $50,000 for hospital charities and organized a course that certified eleven child passenger safety technicians.

Thompson, before presenting the award, said Green’s passion hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Recognition of Staff Sgt. Green’s passion has risen up through this organization. It’s risen up to the MAJCOM level, and in fact it has risen all the way to the Air Force level,” said Thompson.

“I had no idea,” recalled Green, who was surprised with the presentation. “When I heard the general start talking about what was going on, I started tearing up, because to know that not only my unit is noticing, and the people around the community are noticing, but people that high are noticing and recognizing me for it,” said Green.

The Air Force Chief of Safety Ground Safety Well Done Award recognizes non-safety personnel who make significant contributions to the prevention of mishaps on the ground.