AEDC employee honored with Navy Superior Civilian Award for Valor

  • Published
  • By Partirck Ary
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  There were dozens of people gathered to see Kirk Rutland honored in a ceremony at AEDC Aug. 23.

Everyone knew why they were there but Rutland himself.

"The folks here did a real good job keeping it under wraps," Rutland said. "I wasn't expecting anything like this."

Rutland, a Navy employee and technical director of the Test Systems Sustainment Division at AEDC, received the Navy's Superior Civilian Award for Valor for his heroism after a vehicle wreck June 17 in Manchester.

Rutland was cutting grass on the day the wreck happened near his home. An SUV traveling on Gowen Road left the road, hit a tree and rolled back onto the pavement. The woman driving the vehicle was able to get out, but her 8-year-old son was pinned inside as the vehicle's engine caught on fire.

Rutland and a passerby hurried to help.

"There wasn't any hesitation about what we should do," Rutland said.

The passerby, Jason Little, worked to free the child while Rutland used a fire extinguisher to keep the flames at bay. Not long after they freed the boy and were getting away from the vehicle, there was a popping sound and it was soon engulfed in flames. The SUV was destroyed, but thanks to Rutland and Little, the boy escaped with only scratches and burns.

Then Rutland went to work the next day and didn't bother to bring up what had happened.

"Kirk didn't actually mention the incident at all," said Col. Rick Petito, chief of the Test Systems Sustainment Division. "Someone else said 'Hey, did you see Kirk on the news last night?' Kirk was very humble about it and has maintained that persona since."

Petito decided Rutland needed more recognition than a mention in a staff meeting, so he got in touch with the Navy to see what the options were. Rutland's boss, Naval Air Systems Command division head for power plant and propulsion Thomas Weiss, took it from there and showed up to present the medal to Rutland for the Aug. 23 ceremony.

Rutland's citation, signed by Naval Air Systems Command Commander Vice Admiral David Architzel, states Rutland's "sense of responsibility to your fellow man exemplifies the qualities of a true leader, and reflects great credit upon yourself, the Command, and the United States Naval Service."

In his mind, Rutland believes he just did what anyone else in the situation would have done.

"I don't think I did anything remarkable or spectacular," Rutland said. "I certainly appreciate the recognition, and I'm humbled by that. Floored, actually. But I was in the right place at the right time, and God bless that the situation came out well."

But others, like Test Systems Sustainment Division deputy Michael Schleider, believe Rutland's humble attitude shouldn't overshadow his act of heroism.

"Somebody in Kirk's mentality, he may think 'Of course anybody would have,'" Schleider said. "But Kirk did."