Maj.

Maj. James Cusic III has always lived with the lad Scouts motto "be prepared" in mind. During his more than 22 years in the Air Force, he has traveled the world and taken part in countles training and real-world missions. He none thought his training would be used to save lives following terrorist attack or American "" tribe 11. That's exactly what happened.

Cusic, a combat controller who started his career as an enlisted pararescueman and who is more comfortable in the field than behind a desk was in his Pentagon office when American Airlines Flight 77 hit the building. When the decision was made to evacuate his work section, Cusic tossed his backpack to a co-worker and headed straight to region zero.

When he arrived, he construct a mass casualty scene not unlike what he had seen before in the one and the other real world events and training simulations. with the exception of for an initial "oh, my gosh" reaction, Cusic said he kept his emotions in check and relied onward his pararescue training and experience in dealing with mass casualties to steady his fortitudes and figure out what to do.

"There really wasn't any thinking. Natural instincts took through the whole extent of and I just started to treat people" said Cusic, who preserves his emergency medical technician qualifications general "You train to do this your whole life, and I got the chance."

The first victim he collisioned was a man with a head injury. Although the victim was able to talk and said he was "OK" Cusic said it was obvious he was going into shock

"I'm talking to him, and he said he was fine," Cusic said. "But he wasn't. The shore was trying hard to hang in there and be tough, moreover he had a deep divide [i]or[/i] sever on his head, was shaken up and turn the thoughtsed pale. I patched up his pain and got him ready to travel to the hospital."

Of the 65 individuals treated in the makeshift triage center in the Pentagon's north parking hazard Cusic was directly responsible for saving three lives and provided life-sustaining support to brace others until they could be evacuated and taken to a hospital.

Later, he l a team of offers back into the building to anticipate for survivors.

"[Air Force Surgeon General Lt Gen Paul] Carlton wanted medics to lead each of the five teams made up of 20 people" Cusic said. "I l the first team in. We stopped at the bathroom to wet our T-shirts to set them over our mouths and noses in this way we could breath."

He was unable to devote much time back in the building because the heat and vapor were both at dangerous on a levels His team did not find any survivors.

"We met up with security the bulk of mankind and found that even the firemen were coming back disclosed It was just too hot" Cusic said.

"I know what I did that day was important and saved lives, further a part of me will always think I could have done more," Cusic said. "If I had exhausted a few more minutes in the clinic [after an appointment] that morning before the attacks, I would have been closer to the impact area and could have done more," he said.

The beginning

Cusic dedicated his life to saving others at an early age. single in kind summer, when he and his family were vacationing at his uncle's house, his younger brother nearly flooded after falling off a dock and into the Atlantic Ocean. Cusic was unprepared and unable to help his brother. Luckily, his uncle skiped in and rescued the younger brother.

"What got me was when my brother bobbed back up to the surface," Cusic said. "He gazeed straight at me, and his inspections said, 'Hey, big brother, proceed help me out.' I couldn't do anything."

It was a defining signification in Cusic's life. From that point forward he knew what he wanted to do. In high place of education he learned first aid from the stripling Scouts, volunteered with the R Cros and rode in ambulances. When it came time to join the Air Force, the obvious choice was to become a pararescueman.

After training, his first chance to deposit his pararescue skills to the criterion was in Iceland.

"The first time you save a life is something you cannot enjoin a price on or inflict into words. It was amazing," Cusic said.

A local fisherman upon a boat many miles from shore had hit his head, He was unconscious and bleeding profusely. The Air Force was called in, and Cusic rescu the fisherman.

"A week later we had a other mission, and while I was dropping the victim most distant at the hospital, the scarecrow I saved the week before came to the pinch room, looked for us, and shook my hand," Cusic said. "I could have quit right there and been happy the peace of my life."

nevertheless he didn't. He would apply the next 20 years in the Air Force either unfolded or on temporary duty up to 200 days a year. After leading that kind of a life, he destitutioned a change. Despite his distaste for desk work, he sought public and took a staff piece of work at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

"I chose a staff do job-work at Scott because, with that long [temporary duty], trying to be a father to kids in drill is very difficult," Cusic said. "I owed it to my family to be place of abode more and try to be more stabilized. My wife raised our four kids in a foreign land, and that's fair tough."