Navy corpsman with Marine Raiders ran into burning building to save French soldiers after Iranian attack

The drone struck Hernandez’s base at night on March 12. An alert told personnel to take cover, and he heard an intense buzzing before the explosion. The blast happened about 25 meters from his position. Hernandez was the only U.S. medic and corpsman nearby, so he expected to be called when casualties appeared.

He grabbed his weapon and medical equipment, then ran toward the attack site. Case said Hernandez entered a burning berthing area amid secondary ammunition explosions. He found seven wounded French soldiers, sorted their injuries by urgency, and directed Marines to help. They started IVs, applied chest seals and tourniquets, and used blankets to prevent hypothermia.

Hernandez also gave whole blood through bone access and performed emergency chest procedures. The response mattered because the injured soldiers needed immediate care in a dangerous environment. Marine officials linked the deployment to Operation Inherent Resolve, while the French military confirmed six soldiers were injured.

A Navy corpsman is a trained Navy medical provider assigned to support military units, including Marine forces. The role combines medical responsibility with military duties. Corpsmen may work close to combat, where they must reach wounded people quickly and operate under fire. Their central mission is patient care, not direct fighting.

Hernandez’s actions show the difference clearly. He carried a weapon, but he also carried medical equipment and ran toward the attack site because he was the only U.S. medic nearby. He triaged seven wounded soldiers, started IVs, used tourniquets and chest seals, and performed advanced emergency procedures. Marines helped him with treatment and equipment.

A regular combat soldier may provide security, maneuver, or other mission support. A corpsman is trained to stabilize injuries and prevent death until further care is available. The article emphasizes that corpsmen train for such emergencies, but few get the chance to deliver care on this scale.

The clearest official injury figure is six. The French military confirmed that six soldiers were injured in the Iranian drone attack near Erbil, Iraq. However, Rear Adm. Matthew Case said Hernandez located, extricated, and triaged seven critically wounded French coalition soldiers. Those figures are not explained further in the article.

Hernandez and several Marines treated the casualties at the attack site. They began IVs, applied chest seals and tourniquets, covered the soldiers with blankets, and performed more advanced trauma procedures. The Armed Services YMCA recognized Hernandez with its 2026 Angels of the Battlefield Award for his medical care and lifesaving actions.

The article does not state exactly how many soldiers survived because of the team’s treatment. It reports seven critically wounded soldiers receiving care and describes Hernandez as saving lives. Therefore, the safest answer is six officially confirmed injured, seven treated or triaged, and no confirmed numerical total for lives saved.

French soldiers were deployed to Erbil in northern Iraq for counterterrorism training with several Iraqi military units. Their mission also formed part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The operation was described as the U.S. military-led international coalition’s fight against the Islamic State.

This background explains why French troops were at the base when the drone struck. French President Emmanuel Macron said an Iranian drone attack near Erbil killed a French officer and injured several others. The French military later confirmed six injured soldiers. A pro-Iranian Iraqi group had reportedly warned that French assets could be targeted after France sent an aircraft carrier to the U.S. Central Command area.

The article also notes that the United States formally announced the end of its Iraq mission in September and the departure of most personnel and resources from Erbil Air Base. French forces, however, were still described as supporting coalition operations there during the attack.

These treatments are emergency trauma measures used to keep a severely wounded person alive. Tourniquets slow or stop dangerous bleeding from an injured limb. Chest seals cover penetrating chest wounds and help prevent air from entering the chest. IV fluids and whole blood support circulation when blood loss threatens shock.

Hernandez first ran IVs, then applied chest seals to shrapnel injuries and tourniquets to bleeding wounds. Case said Hernandez administered whole blood through the bone, a method used when ordinary vein access is difficult. He also performed a needle decompression and a blunt thoracostomy, including a chest incision to relieve pressure on the heart and blood vessels.

The article presents these treatments as lifesaving care delivered during an active attack. They bought time for critically wounded soldiers in a burning area. The account does not describe later evacuation or long-term outcomes, but it shows why battlefield medics must combine speed, judgment, and advanced trauma skills.

Wounded people can deteriorate within minutes from blood loss, blocked breathing, or pressure around the heart. Medical evacuation may be delayed by enemy fire, explosions, darkness, distance, or an unsafe landing area. Treating casualties where they are can stabilize them and keep them alive until transport becomes possible.

Hernandez’s response illustrates this need. He ran into the attack area after a drone exploded nearby and found seven critically wounded soldiers. He started IVs, used tourniquets and chest seals, gave whole blood through bone access, and performed emergency chest procedures. Marines helped treat less critical patients while the danger continued around them.

The article does not specifically state that evacuation was delayed or impossible. It does show that immediate on-site care was necessary because the casualties were in a burning area with secondary ammunition explosions. Hernandez’s actions demonstrate why trained battlefield medics remain essential during attacks and other emergencies.

A one-way unmanned aerial vehicle is an unmanned aircraft intended for a single attack mission. It carries an explosive payload and detonates at or near its target. Unlike a reusable surveillance drone, it is not meant to return after striking. The article identifies the weapon as an enemy one-way unmanned aerial vehicle.

The drone exploded about 25 meters from Hernandez’s position. The blast created immediate casualties, but the danger continued. Case said Hernandez entered a burning berthing area amid secondary ammunition explosions. Fire, debris, unstable structures, and additional blasts can injure rescuers and make treatment more difficult.

This layered danger explains why Hernandez’s response was recognized as courageous and medically significant. He had to reach casualties while protecting himself and directing other Marines. The article connects the attack to an Iranian drone near Erbil, but it does not provide the drone’s model, launch location, or technical specifications.