Soldiers recognized for subduing gunman at Georgia base

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll honored six soldiers on Thursday who intervened when a rogue sergeant opened fire on Fort Stewart in southeastern Georgia and injured five fellow soldiers the day before. The entire Trump administration could not be prouder of these soldiers and their heroic actions, Driscoll said. Honorees 1st Sgt. Joshua Arnold, Master Sgt. Justin Thomas, Staff Sgt. Melissa Taylor, Staff Sgt. Robert Pacheco, Sgt. Aaron Turner and Sgt. Eve Rodarte, received Meritorious Service Medals for their actions.

Driscoll described how the soldiers reacted when the gunman allegedly fired a personal handgun at his coworkers in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team’s complex. One unarmed soldier ran and tackled the shooter, and another jumped on top of the shooter to keep him subdued, Driscoll said. The other soldiers immediately responded to the mass casualties around them, he added. The fast action of these soldiers, under stress and under fire, unequivocally saved lives, Driscoll said.

Any updates on the injured soldiers? Three of the five soldiers were released from the hospital on Wednesday, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said during the Thursday presentation. One soldier remains in the base’s hospital and could be released this weekend at the earliest, he said. The last soldier has a longer recovery ahead of her and will remain at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, he said. Officials could not speak to the suspect’s motives and planned to investigate how the soldier got a personal weapon on base. The suspect will remain in custody and will likely be transferred to a military facility, officials added.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more about the shooting.