Army Sgt. Brian Lieberman, at just 22 years old, remarked that he was merely doing his job when he saved a 14-year-old girl’s life during a shooting at his apartment complex.
Yet, the U.S. Army sees him as a hero deserving of a soldier’s medal.
Lieberman, a medic, serves in the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The soldier medal is awarded to individuals who demonstrate acts of heroism, having been established in 1926, acknowledging actions taken under personal risk. It’s about more than just being a “good Samaritan” or rescuing someone—recipients are those who act decisively in life-threatening situations.
On June 5, 2023, a gunman opened fire at the Carrington Place Apartments in North Carolina, injuring a teenage girl. Drawing on his military training, Lieberman rushed into the line of danger.
“I was looking out the window with my roommate, hearing screams and seeing chaos by the pool. That’s when I grabbed my weapon while my roommate called 911 and dashed out,” Lieberman recounted.
Once outside, he approached a group of people who directed him to the girl lying on the street.
Using his combat medic skills, Lieberman treated her wounds, even improvising with grocery bags as makeshift seals. The shooter returned.
“The shooter’s car passed by again, and my roommate shouted something. I covered the girl while the gunman drove by and shot at us again, and then I drew my weapon to return fire,” he recalled.
Lieberman stayed with the young girl until emergency services arrived, ultimately saving her life through his quick actions.
For his bravery and selflessness that day, he received the soldier’s medal at a ceremony on Tuesday in Fort Bragg.
Lieberman’s modest attitude about his actions stems from lessons learned at home. “It all started with my upbringing,” he said, crediting his mother, a nurse for over 30 years, and his father, a former paramedic and police officer. “I watched them go above and beyond to help others.”
The Army expressed that Lieberman’s courage and willingness to put his life on the line exemplifies the highest military traditions.
In a display of humility, Lieberman acknowledged the role of his roommate in that critical moment, stating, “I wouldn’t have received this award without him. He deserves recognition as much as I do.”
He praised his roommate for bringing essential medical supplies, emphasizing that while he may not have fired a weapon that day, his support was vital in helping the girl.
