Four Arkansas Guard Members Receive Honor for Heroism

Four members of the Arkansas National Guard have been recognized for heroism for their part in a roadside rescue..

 Spc. Dominic Alexander, of Malvern; Staff Sgt. Shane Huneycutt, of Malvern; Sgt. James Rogers, of Arkadelphia; and Spc. Dane Tillery, of Hollis are all members of the Arkansas National Guard's Malvern-based 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, a part of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The soldiers were returning to their home unit after training at Fort Chaffee in November of 2009, when they came across a head-on collision that had just occurred on Highway 270 near Hot Springs.

According to authorities, the team quickly assessed the situation and took action to save those in immediate danger while also protected others in the surrounding area.

With one of the vehicles on fire, Honeycutt and Rogers immediately braved the flames and the potential of explosion in order to pull two injured occupants from the automobile.

Alexander and Tillery were working to contain the flames with extinguishers secured from their military vehicle.

Once the injured were pulled to safety, Honeycutt and Rogers set up a cordon of the area and worked to direct others to safety away from the burning vehicle while also ensuring a clear path for the arrival of emergency personnel.

  Alexander and Tillery fought the flames until the fire extinguishers emptied at which time they focused on assisting the injured until emergency personnel arrived on the scene.

Huneycutt and Rogers are awarded the Soldiers Medal for their actions, while Alexander and Tillery will receive the Arkansas Military Cross Medal for theirs.