Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Wendell Tabios, hospital

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Wendell Tabios, hospital corpsman, Command Element, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, stands at the position of attention before being awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during the Command Element's promotion and awards ceremony in the hangar bay of the USS Peleliu, Dec. 1. Tabios received the award for his immediate medical response after a head-on collision on Camp Pendleton in July, where he saved a life. The 15th MEU is deployed as part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group as a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force, providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. Tabios, 37, is from Cavite, Philippines. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John Robbart III/Released)