Staff Sgt. Justin Hicks, a U-2 crew chief deployed from the 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., had just worked a 12-hour shift from midnight to noon. Hicks, who is currently assigned to the 99th Aircraft Maintenance Unit here, and Airman 1st Class Alejandro Betancourt, a crew chief deployed from the same unit, were released early from duty and headed to lunch.

The airmen made it to the Oasis dinning facility just as it was opening up. They got their food and sat down at a long table. While they were eating, the tables at the facility filled up. Hicks said he saw a few airmen getting up from the far end of his table, leaving one airman sitting there alone.

"Out of the corner of my eye, I could see an airman trying to get my attention," Hicks said. "I started thinking it was someone I knew. I looked up at him and saw how red his face was, and then I saw drool hanging out of his mouth. He was holding his hands around his neck. I asked the guy if he was OK. He just looked at me and shook his head 'no.'"

Instantly, Hicks thought of the self-aid and buddy care training he had taken prior to deploying. He remembered if people are choking and they can't answer you, they can't breathe. He knew the airman was in serious trouble.

"I jumped up and ran around the table," Hicks said. "I put my arms around him, and gave him two good thrusts. On the second thrust everything came up. It wasn't like the movies where only one little thing pops out of your mouth.

"I did the best I could remember," Hicks said. "I never thought in a million years I would have to use the Heimlich. I never even thought I would see it done."

While Hicks raced around the table, Betancourt continued eating lunch and watching TV.

"I heard Sergeant Hicks say, 'Are you OK?', and I thought he was talking to me," Betancourt said. "I said, 'Yeah, I'm OK' and then I looked at what was happening. I was shocked to see Sergeant Hicks running around the table. I looked over at the dude, his face was cherry red and his lips were blue."

Hicks and Betancourt helped the airman clean up, and then the airman rushed off. They didn't even get his name, they said.

"My adrenaline was pumping pretty fast," Hicks said. "I asked him twice if he was OK because I knew when you administer the Heimlich there is always a chance that you can cause some internal damage. He got out of there pretty fast! I was worried that I might have helped him out of one problem and into a new one."