“It felt good to be able to actually help those people and be close enough to assist so they weren’t just stuck waiting, trapped in their car,” says Spc. Brennan Ridgen, a combat medic with the Nebraska National Guard assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia (JTF-DC).
U.S. Soldiers with the Nebraska National Guard assigned to JTF-DC in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission responded to a vehicle accident involving a diplomatic vehicle near Dupont Circle in Washington, May 15, 2026.
According to the Soldiers, they were finishing their lunch break when a loud crash alerted them to the accident. The guardsmen ran towards the scene, immediately setting a safety perimeter and calling 911. Ridgen performed a rapid assessment of the driver of one of the involved vehicles who was able to exit her vehicle and approach the Soldiers for help. Ridgen transferred care of the woman to another service member and approached the other vehicle, a Greek diplomatic vehicle carrying the Greek Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Nikolaos Sapountzis. The vehicle was on its side with its doors locked, so Ridgen and Spc. Logan Jackson, an artilleryman also with the Nebraska National Guard, smashed the vehicle’s windshield to check on the driver and Mr. Sapountzis. The driver was suspended by his seat belt, and Mr. Sapountzis was in the back seat. Ridgen and Jackson began initial assessments and helped Mr. Sapountzis out of the car. Jackson worked with emergency officials to extract the driver.
“It’s a testament to their desire to help the community here in the DC area,” says Lt. Col. Alex Zeller, the Nebraska National Guard task force commander.
The actions of the guardsmen held true to both the Army values and the JTF-DC goal of ensuring the safety of all who live, work, and visit the district.
“It was a great feeling to know that what I’m doing really matters in my community,” said Jackson. “Even though I’m not from DC. It’s still the United States--these are my people.”