RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- On June 14, 2026, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Nasser Aldeen Kuswane, 1st Air and Space Communications Operations Squadron intelligence systems technician, and his wife, Angie, started heading toward the Reel Time Theater at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to meet a friend and watch a movie.
While they were on the Autobahn, they saw an SUV flipped over.
“There was nobody there so I pulled over and before I could stop the car my wife was already outside,” said Kuswane. “I could hear an Apple Watch going crazy making noises, it was chaos.”
“I saw smoke near the engine, and I didn’t know how long we had if it was going to catch fire, so I tried to pull open the driver door, but it was wedged between the ground,” he continued. “Luckily others stopped, so I called for help and we were able to push the door open.”
When the door opened, Kuswane saw a woman upside down with her eyes open, but she wasn’t talking. He safely got her down and pulled her out by the calves.
“My wife speaks German so she was talking to the lady,” Kuswane said. “She didn’t know what happened or where she was, but she said her dog was inside.”
Kuswane went back to the vehicle and found the dog safely in a carrier in the trunk.
Meanwhile, his wife called the police.
While his wife attended to the lady, Kuswane saw debris so he called over the others to help clear the road and put out safety triangles.
“I know you’re supposed to put those out first, but there was a car flipped over,” he said.
When the police arrived, the couple didn’t have much information since they didn’t see the accident happen, so they were sent on their way.
“After driving away, my wife and I said, ‘what just happened,’” he said.
They arrived on base covered in mud after assisting the car crash victim, but they made it to the movie on time. Afterward he texted his work’s group chat to inform them of what happened.
“When I heard about Senior Airman Kuswane’s actions, I was so proud of his immediate response,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Frank Dunn, 1 ACOS first sergeant.
On July 10, 2026, Kuswane was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his actions.
“’Service Before Self’ is not just embodied on duty,” said Dunn. “He represents the best of the Air Force and lives up to our 1 ACOS’ motto: ‘Best Done Better.’”
“I am humbled to serve with Airmen like him,” Dunn continued.
After being released from the police, Kuswane and his wife didn’t have further contact with the victim.
“I read in a German news article that she was airlifted to a hospital,” said Kuswane. “I don’t have anymore information, but I hope she makes a full recovery and her dog is fine.”
Following the accident, Kuswane has an important lesson to takeaway.
“After seeing her hanging upside down, I said I will always wear my seatbelt,” he said.