Airman to Airman - SSgt Chambers Owes His Life to a Great Wingman

by Kim Brumley
Staff Writer

11/19/2014 - Winter 2014 -- As an avid snowboarder, SSgt John Chambers looked forward to a TDY to Travis AFB and a chance for some time on the prime slopes at the resorts nearby. But while snowboarding on a crisp January day in 2013, his plans quickly veered off course and out of control before he knew what hit him.

Arriving at Travis with his snowboard and gear in hand, SSgt Chambers collaborated with fellow classmates for a weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The trip went off without a hitch, so the group planned a second weekend at the resort ... and then it happened.
"Here's what I remember: The four of us were going down runs together for a few hours. We got hungry and decided to get some food in the lodge. After eating, we became tired and discussed not snowboarding anymore, but since we paid so much for the tickets and had only been there for a few hours, we decided to go on one last run before we called it a day," he said.

On the last run, Chambers took off ahead of the group, but when they arrived at the bottom of the slope, he was nowhere to be found. Bewildered, the group decided to take the lift back to the top to try to locate Chambers. But before they could get back on the lift, they overheard talk of a terrible accident on the slopes where someone had veered off course into a wooded area and crashed into a large tree. They knew it had to be SSgt Chambers.

Luckily, another Airman who was a member of the security forces from Travis happened to be on the slopes, saw Chambers go into the wooded area, and hurried over. "By the time he was able to get to me, I was unconscious, not breathing, and bleeding quite a bit from my right ear. He was able to get the attention of the mountain security personnel who rushed over to help. The Reno hospital emergency room was alerted, and they sent a medevac helicopter to rescue me," said Chambers.

At first, he was unable to breathe on his own. Finally, after several hours of labored breathing, SSgt Chambers' condition stabilized. He had sustained serious injuries that included four skull fractures, a traumatic brain injury, a concussion, permanent hearing loss in his right ear, brain swelling that caused palsy in the right side of his face, and a fracture to his right tibia.

The days following the accident were a blur of only short recollections. He didn't remember the accident or even know why he was in a hospital bed until he asked friends who were there by his side. They told him of the incident and were constant companions during his 13-day hospital stay. It was another month before he was cleared to take a flight to Andrews AFB to start his medical convalescence, but his wingmen were there keeping his spirits up throughout the ordeal.

"Another great wingman was the security forces member who initially saw what happened and immediately came to my rescue," Chambers said. "If it wasn't for his assistance, I don't believe that anyone else would have found me in time. If I ever get the opportunity to thank him, I will tell him that I owe my life to him."

Minus the hearing damage, SSgt Chambers has made a remarkable recovery in a short time. As a member of the Airmen-to-Airmen Safety Advisory Council, he now shares his story with other wingmen. He said, "I have been snowboarding for about 12 years, but wearing a helmet never crossed my mind. If I could do it all over again, I would wear a helmet."