Soldier's Heroic Act Earns Rare Valor Award for Saving Woman from Violent Assault

Spc. Rene Rodriguez, a medic with the 25th Infantry Division, is set to receive the Soldier's Medal, the Army's highest award for heroism outside of combat, for saving a woman from a violent assault outside a coffee shop near Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Rodriguez intervened when he saw the woman being attacked, enduring strikes from the assailant while moving her to safety in his car. He continued to protect her until law enforcement arrived. The Soldier's Medal is rarely awarded, and Rodriguez's actions reflect great credit upon him, the 25th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.