Staff Sailor Recognized by Santa Cruz Fire Department
Today@NPS
Staff Sailor Recognized by Santa Cruz Fire Department
By Javier Chagoya
Cryptologic Technician Technical Second Class Gregory Medders, fourth from left, stands with fellow Sailors recognized for their recent achievements during an awards ceremony held on the steps of Herrmann Hall, Nov. 5.
Medders was recognized with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Award and Medal for his professional and immediate response in moving civilians to safety after a fire erupted from an overheating dryer at a Laundromat in his Santa Cruz neighborhood. He then quickly found a fire extinguisher and smothered the flames before local authorities arrived on the scene.
"My firefighting training kicked in as I moved people who were using the Laundromat to calmly exit the building, then I got to putting out the fire – it was that quick," said Medders.
City of Santa Cruz Fire Capt. Steve Parmley, who represented a thankful community, said that Medders' outstanding performance and courageous act to stop and help others was exemplary and worthy of recognition.
"He went above and beyond what many others might have done, and it really shows the caliber of what our military members are made of," said Parmley.
Pictured with Medders, from left to right, are fellow NPS staff Sailors who were also recognized for their own recent achievements. Each earning their second Navy Good Conduct Award are Information Systems Technician Second Class Moua Xiong, Culinary Specialist Second Class Michael Ponce and Information Systems Technician Third Class Ward Winekauf. Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class (AW) Joshua Anderson earned NPS' Junior Sailor of the Quarter, and Seaman Erica Schulte earned NPS' Blue Jacket of the Quarter, for the Fourth Quarter of 2015.