A U.S. Navy corpsman assigned to Marine special operations forces is being recognized for extraordinary bravery after rushing toward an enemy drone strike to save wounded French troops. Hospital Corpsman Second Class (HM2) Jajuan D. Hernandez, assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was deployed to the Middle East when an enemy one-way attack drone exploded approximately 25 meters from his position. The attack occurred on March 12, 2026, during the opening weeks of the Iran conflict. Hernandez was the only American medic at his location. As flames spread and secondary ammunition explosions erupted, he rushed into the affected area to help the wounded. He discovered seven critically injured French coalition soldiers and immediately began triage. Working alongside Marine Raiders, Hernandez administered emergency medical treatment, including: 🩸 Whole-blood transfusions 🩸 Tourniquets to control severe bleeding 🩺 Chest seals and emergency procedures to relieve dangerous pressure in the chest 🩺 IV fluids and treatment to prevent shock Despite limited medical resources, language barriers and the continuing danger, Hernandez coordinated lifesaving care and casualty evacuation. Rear Adm. Matthew Case, then serving as acting Surgeon General of the Navy, credited Hernandez’s actions with directly saving six coalition partners’ lives. The attack near Erbil also killed a French officer, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. In recognition of his actions, Hernandez received the 2026 Angels of the Battlefield Award during a ceremony in the Washington, D.C., area. The award recognizes exceptional military medical personnel who provide lifesaving care under extraordinary circumstances. When interviewed about his actions, Hernandez emphasized that military medical personnel train to put themselves in danger when necessary to save others. One Navy corpsman. Seven critically wounded soldiers. Six lives credited to his actions. 🇺🇸 HM2 Jajuan D. Hernandez represents the courage, skill and commitment of America’s Navy corpsmen serving alongside Marine Raiders. #USNavy #JajuanHernandez #NavyCorpsman #MarineRaiders #MARSOC - @phephy00