Tennessee National Guardsmen honored for medical evacuation

LOUISVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Four members of the Tennessee National Guard have been honored for a lifesaving medical evacuation in the Smokies.

According to a news release, the guardsmen responded last June after a 17-year-old girl was attacked by a bear while camping.

The girl was seriously injured, and park rangers called the guard to airlift her to a nearby hospital.

The four-man crew out of Louisville consisted of Capt. Philip Webster, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Redley, Sgt. 1st Class Tracy Banta and Sgt. Timothy Allen.

They are members of the 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion.

They received the Star of Life award from the Children’s Emergency Care Alliance of Tennessee on May 4.

For more Tennessee news, click here.