OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea — The sharp strike was immediate, a searing pain that felt like a hammer slamming into his fingertip – except the pain never eased.
On June 21, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Haskins, 607th Air Operations Center survival, evasion, resistance, escape specialist was spending a Sunday afternoon at Buraksan Park with his Bible study group when he suffered a venomous pit viper bite.
Haskins’s children explored the wooded trails while the adults gathered nearby. His 4-year-old son first spotted the snake, then called his 10-year-old brother over to carefully capture it. They brought it proudly before their father.
“My son came up and said, ‘Dad, I caught a snake, and it's not venomous,’” said Haskins.
Years of survival training immediately told Haskins otherwise.
As his son approached him, Haskins recognized the triangular head shape and its box-like features, both telltale signs of a venomous pit viper.
Immediately going into dad mode without alarming his son, Haskins calmly took the snake and began pointing out the features that distinguished it from harmless species.
As he explained why the snake was dangerous, his son noticed how tightly he was holding it and expressed his concern for the pit viper’s life.
“I told him, 'No, I'm not going to kill the snake. I just don't want to get bit,’” said Haskins.
Wanting to assuage his son’s unease, Haskins loosened his grip involuntarily.
In an instant, the snake twisted its head and struck, sinking its fang into his middle finger.
Understanding the urgency of the situation, Haskins sprang into motion and alerted his wife, letting her know that they needed to go to the hospital immediately.
"From my training, I knew there was nothing medicinally you can do when you get bit by a venomous snake," said Haskins. "You have to go seek medical professional help to get antivenom administered."
After leaving their kids under the care of their friends, the couple prepared to leave the park. Haskins’s wife contacted Osan Air Base's Urgent Care Clinic, which advised them to seek treatment at a local Korean hospital as they did not carry the necessary antivenom.
Then, another concern surfaced.
“We’re about to leave Buraksan Park when my wife looks over at me and says, ‘You and I don’t speak Korean. We can’t just go into a local hospital and try to Google Translate everything to get you care. It’ll be a nightmare,’” said Haskins.
She immediately called Capt. Joseph Kim, 694th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group chaplain, who had been attending the same Bible study.
Kim sprinted from the picnic tables to their vehicle.
“I didn’t know it was that serious then,” said Kim. “But when I got the call asking me to come with them, I was like, ‘Absolutely!’”
Unsure which hospital carried antivenom, Kim called Korea's 119 emergency dispatch and communicated directly with emergency responders in Korean, who advised them to stay where they were and an ambulance would be on its way shortly.
With the ambulance more than 10 minutes away and the swelling getting worse, Kim called the emergency dispatch back to see if they could drive themselves.
“We didn’t want to waste any more time,” said Kim. “I asked them, ‘Can you identify which facility actually has antivenom?’”
Once he received confirmation on which hospital had the medication Haskins needed, Kim drove the couple there while continuing to translate between medical personnel and the family.
"I kept saying to him over and over again, 'I'm so grateful that you were here during this because it would have been drastically different,'" said Haskins.
Roughly an hour and 40 minutes after the bite, Haskins finally received antivenom and after three days in the hospital, Haskins returned to duty with only slight numbness remaining in his fingertip.
The successful outcome reflected more than quick thinking; it was the product of readiness, resilience and relationships built every day.
"We are in the business of defending freedom and defending our country, and we need to be ready not just physically, but also spiritually, mentally and socially," said Kim. "That is the warfighter spirit that enables the success of our mission."
As the group chaplain, Kim embodies that spirit by providing counseling, relationship enrichment classes, resilience training and unit engagement.
"Bottom line, we've got to know the people," said Kim. "We have to be purposeful every week that we go out. Developing those relationships builds trust and promotes better crisis response."
Looking back, Kim encourages Airmen to see his actions not as extraordinary, but as an example of how anyone can make a difference by stepping forward when others need help.
"I hope people can see they can do the same thing," said Kim. "Not because I'm an officer or a chaplain, but that they can do the same in their own capability, in their own shop, with other Airmen and their families. When the opportunity comes, they can step up and help others."
| Date Taken: |
07.22.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
08.02.2026 19:31 |
| Story ID: |
571357 |
| Location: |
OSAN AIR BASE, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], KR |
| Web Views: |
16 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, Chaplain's quick response helps save Airman after pit viper bite, by SrA Jessica Mun, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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