Armed Forces News

Tanya Porter, a civilian nurse attached to Madigan Army Medical Center, Wash., received the Army Award for Valor from Mark T. Esper, the secretary of the Army, during a June 1 ceremony, for her actions in the aftermath of a Dec. 18 Amtrak train derailment.

Records show that Porter was on I-5, three cars away from the railroad overpass, when the derailment occurred. She was still in her hospital scrubs, heading home from an overnight shift at Madigan. Immediately, Porter grabbed her first aid equipment and began treating victims. At one point, she was taking care of people while situated directly under the unstable wreckage — continuing to work even as bystanders urged her to abandon the area.

“I saw a gentleman on the ground who was quite injured,” she said. “I didn’t want to leave.”
She also stayed with a patient who sustained severe neck and traumatic brain injury and a chest wound until ambulances arrived to provide further help. She also gave her sweater to a mother, whose baby had possibly sustained traumatic head injuries — so that the mother could cover the child’s eyes, protecting them from the flashing lights. Three people died in the incident, and more than 60 others were injured. Since then, Porter said, she has received numerous contacts from victims and their families — thanking her for her quick and thorough action that day.