Navy corpsman Navaeh Funderburk earns a city's first lifesaving citizen medal

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Navaeh Funderburk received the National City Police Department's first Citizen Meritorious Service Medal for using her uniform belt as a tourniquet to help save a motorcyclist after a crash outside Naval Base San Diego.

The award

The ceremony was held Sept. 29 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in National City, California. Police say the medal goes to private citizens for meritorious service that may involve risk of injury or a noteworthy contribution that matches the department's mission. Officials told Funderburk the award existed in their rules but had never been issued as a medal until her case.

Lt. Kenneth Springer presented the honor. "She did a great job hopping into action and stabilizing the injury," Springer said. "Her efforts helped save a man's life that day."

What happened on the roadside

Funderburk, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, was driving to work after weekend duty on Aug. 11, 2025, when she saw shattered motorcycle parts and a man in a ditch. Another sailor and a pedestrian were already trying to help. She joined them and improvised a tourniquet with her belt to stop the bleeding until an ambulance arrived.

Doctors later told police the rider could have died without that care. Funderburk said years of casualty drills suddenly made sense in a real emergency. "I'm proud of myself," she said. "To be recognized for this, even though it's my job as a corpsman, it's a good feeling to have."