On his way to receive an award for outstanding service, airman saves child's life

While on his way to collect an award for being an outstanding airman, Air Force Tech Sgt. Kenneth O'Brien did something else deserving of accolades: He saved a baby's life.

On Sept. 11, O'Brien, a member of the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, was on a flight from Okinawa, Japan, to Dallas. Selected as one of the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, he was headed to the Air Force Association's conference, where he would receive the award. O'Brien saw that one of his fellow passengers, a 1-year-old baby, was unconscious and unresponsive, and ran over to help.

The baby had a blockage in its airway, and although another passenger was attempting to revive the child, nothing was working. O'Brien conducted several back thrusts and finger sweeps of the baby's mouth, and soon cleared the blockage. He then gave the baby CPR for about a minute, until the child regained consciousness.

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O'Brien, who also helped during last year's rescue of several children from a Thai cave, said he was "thankful" the baby survived and he was "able to help when the family needed support. I happened to be in the right place at the right time." Lt. Col. Charles Hodges, commander of the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, said in a statement everyone is proud of O'Brien, who "continues to step up when there is a need for leadership and action."