LTC Kent Justice was honored by American Airlines for his heroic actions in response to an incident that occurred May 4 on board American airlines Flight 60 from Tokyo to Dallas/Fort Worth.
It became apparent that there was a passenger that presented a clear threat to the safety of the aircraft, the passengers, and crew on board. Kent was the first passenger to respond to assist the flight attendant nearest the individual at that time, and with the later assistance of some other military personnel on board, neutralized the threat for the duration of the flight.
The incident, later categorized as a serious incident by the airline, caused the flight to divert to Los Angeles International Airport. In Los Angeles, police, firemen, medical crew, and other authorities removed the individual from the aircraft and assessed the extensive damage done to the aircraft. Eventually resuming travel to Dallas/Fort Worth, arriving without further incident.
A flight attendant said, “I have never seen anything like this in my 33-year career.”