U.S. Air Force member from New Mexico saves lives of 5 people while off-duty
OTERO COUNTY, New Mexico -- U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Garret Glore, who was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, was on leave in California when he was able to save the lives of five different people.
"Glore was instrumental in saving five lives in his off-duty time, swimming over 3,500 meters to rescue two individuals swept out to sea, triaging a homeless man suffering from an overdose, and responding to a vehicle rollover while facing oncoming traffic," said U.S. Air Force Lt Col James Hayward, 314th FS commander.
Glore received the Air Education and Training Command 2023 United Service Organizations Service Member of the Year Award for the Air Force, which recognizes service members for performing extraordinary acts of bravery that exemplify the values of their respective branches.
"These events have given me the mindset to put other people’s needs ahead of my own," said Glore. "If someone is in need, I will do anything and everything in my power to help them, even if it puts my life at risk."
Glore said he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force with the purpose of saving lives.
"My goals in joining the Air Force were simple: uplift those around me and be the best teammate I can be," said Glore. "The better I am, the more I can help the people around me."
Initially joining as a special warfare Airman, he aspired to engage in life-saving missions daily. However, unforeseen obstacles led him to drop out of the training. Despite this setback, he embraced his reassignment as a 314th Fighter Squadron aircraft resource manager at Holloman.
"In the Special Warfare pipeline, you fail every day,” he said. “There were times when we were moving for days at a time with no sleep. In those moments, I knew quitting was not an option. I learned that when you get knocked down, it’s about getting back up and fighting with everything you've got."
