A former Nelson man has received a commendation after saving two lives during a major international exercise in the Pacific.
Corporal Abraham “Abe” Corban-Banks, who attended Garin College, found himself in the midst of a real-world emergency during Exercise Cope North in Guam on Tinian Island in 2023, just 18 months after enlisting as a Security Forces Specialist in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
While on patrol with a United States Air Force (USAF) partner, Corporal Corban-Banks was alerted by locals to a serious vehicle crash deep in the jungle.
Two people had been thrown from a military vehicle during a high-speed rollover and were critically injured.
With no medical team nearby, Corporal Corban-Banks and his USAF colleague went to the scene immediately and began first aid.
“When I was initially told of the incident, I thought it was just part of the exercise. But on arrival I knew straight away it wasn’t an exercise or a scenario. It was very much real world.”
He stabilised a woman with a severe femur fracture, another open fracture and signs of internal bleeding.
He kept her conscious while preparing her for rapid evacuation. Thanks to his actions, she was flown out on a nearby C-130 aircraft within minutes.
The second injured person was later airlifted by a Japanese helicopter. Both survived, an outcome the official exercise report credited to the quick thinking of the first responders.
“While it was an intense situation, my instincts and training just kicked in. There was no time to really think about the situation - I was simply doing what anyone would do. This is exactly what I trained for, it was the skills I learnt while serving in the RNZAF that allowed me to do my job.”
The USAF recognised the pair soon after the incident and recently, Corporal Corban-Banks was formally presented with the Chief of Air Force Commendation by the Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb for his courage and professionalism.
The award acknowledges exemplary judgement and service in situations when lives were on the line. His commendation reads:
“There was a real-world medical emergency that had occurred, and by the quick-thinking actions of the personnel, the lives of two critically injured airmen were saved. Aircraftman (his rank at the time) Corban-Banks, through demonstration of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) values, was able to provide lifesaving medical interventions, and an aviator from a major international military partner is alive today as a testament of his actions. Aircraftman Corban-Bank’s actions were exemplary for an aviator and personified the ethos of the NZDF.”
Now acting in a corporal role, Abe has deployed to the Solomon Islands, taken part in Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia, and led Security Forces teams alongside the German Air Force when it visited New Zealand recently.
Despite the recognition, he remains humble about what happened on Tinian Island.
