DULUTH, Minn. -- On September 22, 2025, U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Jared Hinks, 148th Fighter Wing munitions systems specialist, was honored in front of family, friends and colleagues by the American Red Cross by receiving a Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action.
Hinks received the certificate for assisting an injured motorcyclist after a collision with a vehicle in November last year. He witnessed the accident, pulled his vehicle over, and immediately jumped into action.
“I may not be a trained paramedic, but I feel like I have a little more training than most just from my time in the Army and from here at the 148th Fighter Wing,” said Hinks. “Knowing that I’ve seen this before, I’ve done it before. I knew I could lend some kind of a helping hand.”
Amid the chaos on the busy Duluth roadway, Hinks remained calm and assessed the motorcyclist’s injuries. He saw that the rider was bleeding from his leg and that the bone was protruding. Trusting his training, he improvised a splint to stabilize the injury and continued to monitor the motorcyclist for signs of shock until the ambulance arrived where the motorist was transported to the hospital for further care.
During his time in the military, Hinks received training in tactical combat casualty care, or TCCC. “My real roots are in the Army. I joined when I was 18 and I was in the infantry. I was in Iraq for a year in 2004 until 2005 and it was very bloody,” said Hinks.
“I looked around at one point at the accident,” said Hinks recalling the scene. “There were other people there, they all had a look of worry on their face. I could tell they all wanted to help, but were unsure how to. Now imagine if those individuals had the training that I have had to make them mentally prepared and have the physical and mental tools to act. Imagine the difference that can make.”
The Red Cross has several awards that are presented to outstanding Red Cross trained or untrained individuals who show remarkable initiative and poise during some of life’s most critical and chaotic events. The Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action is awarded to those who are not Red Cross trained, but whose actions and skills helped save or sustain a life.
“When we have the opportunity to shine a light on someone who has shown the courage to act on behalf of someone, we know it inspires others to want to make a difference themselves,” said Dan Williams, the Executive Director of American Red Cross Serving Northern and Central Minnesota.
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