Shooting turns strangers into ‘family for life’ - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Shooting turns strangers into ‘family for life’

Maria Soto and Amanda Schneider didn’t know each other a month ago.

Today, they’re what Amanda Schneider calls “family for life” after all the pain they’ve suffered through together — the shooting of their loved ones, both airmen, at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany.

Senior Airman Edgar Veguilla, the son of Soto, and Staff Sgt. Kris Schneider, the husband of Amanda Schneider, are recovering from injuries they suffered March 2 when a gunman boarded an Air Force bus from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and opened fire.

Two airmen, Airman 1st Class Zachary R. Cuddeback and Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, died in the attack. Cuddeback was the bus driver, and Alden was one of 15 security forces airmen on their way from RAF Lakenheath, England, to Ramstein before they deployed to Afghanistan.

The alleged shooter, apprehended by the German police shortly after the assault and now in jail awaiting trial, wounded Veguilla and Schneider so seriously that the doctor overseeing their treatment describes them as “the miracle of Frankfurt.”

‘God’s grace’

“They were really, really lucky,” Dr. Kai Zacharowski told Air Force News Service. “It’s a combination of God’s grace and God giving us the ability to treat patients who are so severely sick, injured and almost dead basically.”

The airmen have been released from Frankfurt’s Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, but U.S. Air Forces in Europe is not disclosing their whereabouts.

Neither Veguilla’s mother nor Schneider’s wife knew just how badly their loved ones had been hurt, they told Air Force News Service in an exclusive interview. Air Force Times requested to speak with the women as well, but they declined.

Soto learned the news from Maj. Joe Wildman, commander of the 82nd Security Forces Squadron, who traveled from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, to her home in Wichita Falls, Texas. A day and a half later, she was with her son.

“I didn’t know how critical he was, but knew he was hurt,” she said in the interview with Air Force News Service.

Amanda Schneider had been patiently waiting in England for her husband to let her know he had landed safely in Germany when she read a story about the attack on the Internet. Within minutes, she received a visit from a security forces team.

“All I wanted, at that time, was to learn something about whether or not Kris was safe,” she said.

It seemed like an eternity, but Amanda Schneider arrived at the hospital in less than 10 hours from the time she heard the news, according to Air Force News Service.

Until Soto arrived, Amanda Schneider stood watch over Veguilla as well as her husband. Once at the hospital, Soto and Amanda Schneider took turns standing guard.

“We’ve had each other to lean on, get some emotions out and vent to one another,” Amanda Schneider said. “We’re family now. I think that’s helped everybody through this situation. [We] are ‘family for life’ because of this shared experience.”

The women praised the hospital staff members for their professionalism and support, they told Air Force News Service.

“It’s just amazing,” said Soto, who works in a hospital. “There is a doctor here who lent me his phone because I hadn’t talked to my other children in a few days.”

Added Amanda Schneider: “They’re unbelievable. They’re compassionate, have a great work ethic and are friendly. … They were supportive and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable, and the boys were safe and had everything they needed.”

Soto helped the doctors and nurses care for her son, too, she told Air Force News Service. She gave him hand massages, love — and pep talks.

“I don’t want him to give up,” Soto said, looking at her son and holding his hand. “I will keep encouraging him to make things better even when he wants to give up.”

Veguilla’s response to the attention — “Typical mom” — made Soto laugh.

“I know he likes it,” she said, “and is taking advantage of it.”

Amanda Schneider is convinced a healthy dose of humor is a big reason behind her husband’s speedy recovery.

“He’s been joking and being sarcastic ever since he woke up,” she said. “He is still able to crack a joke or two, even with all the pain he is in. I couldn’t ask for anything better than that.”

Even Zacharowski, the doctor, believes in the healing power of a positive attitude. Schneider and Veguilla, he told Air Force News Service, are proof.

“Both were smiling, and they both made it happen consciously,” he said. “That was a great sign for me.”

The airmen’s first order of business out of the hospital is to simply have some “quiet time.”

“Honestly,” Veguilla said, “I just want to sit down for a bit in a quiet room.”

Then, the airmen contend, they’ll be ready to go back to work and be with their team again.

Schneider wants his co-workers to know he’s doing fine and he’s grateful for their encouragement.

“I love them,” he said, “and I can’t wait to see them.”

Soto and Amanda Schneider, said they appreciate the assistance of everyone — from hospital staff to well-wishers they don’t even know.

“There have been so many people that I can’t begin to name and thank them all,” Soto said to Air Force News Service. “Without them, I don’t think we would have made it this far in such a short time.”

Amanda Schneider said she wishes she could respond to each note she’s received.

“To know that we have so many people on our side [who] care about what these guys do means so much to us,” she said. “I don’t think that ever, in a million years, I can thank [people] enough. I’ll never forget their kindness.”

Mostly, though, the women are thankful for the support they’ve received from the Air Force.

“From the very beginning, I felt very supported,” Amanda Schneider said. “My [Air Force family] was fabulous with everything and kept me calm.”

Soto agrees wholeheartedly, in the interview with Air Force News Service.

“I haven’t been alone. They’ve been right there for me,” Soto said. “When I got here, I felt like family.”