Just a few days before Christmas, a nurse assigned to the 130th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, delivered a baby in the front seat of a car just outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to Joint Task Force-D.C.
Capt. April McClung, who is currently assigned to operations in Washington, D.C. delivered the baby Dec. 23.
“I knew this was a special and sacred moment for the mother and father, and I was honored to help,” she told Joint Task Force-D.C. “Being so close to Christmas made it even more special.”
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the world’s largest multi-service military medical center and serves active-duty personnel, retirees, and their families. The sprawling facility in Bethesda, Md., is often called “The Nation’s Medical Center.”
McClung was inside the hospital when a man rushed to the registration desk seeking help, explaining his wife was in labor in their car, according to a report by Joint Task Force-D.C., the umbrella organization for operations in the nation’s capital.
Minutes later, he returned with greater urgency and said the baby was coming immediately, according to the report.
After informing hospital staff of her background, McClung went outside to help.
“I’ve been a nurse for 28 years, specifically as an obstetrics nurse, and I’ve also worked in emergency care,” McClung said. “I knew that if the mother had just a little help, she would deliver her baby safely, and that keeping the baby warm would be critical.”
Here’s how McClung helped with the birth, according to Joint Task Force-D.C.:
At the curb, she found the mother kneeling in the front passenger seat, the baby already crowning, while the family’s toddler sat crying in a car seat. While the father was searching for a blanket, McClung calmly coached the mother to control her breathing and allow the delivery to progress naturally to reduce the risk of injury.
An emergency room physician and additional staff arrived shortly afterward. McClung relayed the need for essential medical equipment, including a cord clamp, bulb syringe, warm blankets and a stretcher. She continued to support the mother as the doctor, and the baby’s father completed the delivery.
When the umbilical cord was found wrapped around the baby’s neck, McClung advised the physician on how to safely reduce it. Moments later, the baby cried, signaling a successful delivery. The newborn was placed in warm blankets and transported for further care, while the mother was safely transferred to the emergency room for evaluation.
McClung told Joint Task Force-D.C. that her professional experience and military training prepared her to act decisively.
“I knew I could do the delivery myself if I needed to,” she said. “Emergency delivery is part of my required military training, and over the years I’ve delivered many babies before doctors could arrive.”
About 175 members of the West Virginia National Guard remain in Washington, D.C., on a voluntary basis as the new year begins.
“We’re here to serve our country and our communities,” McClung said. “Sometimes that means supporting large operations, and sometimes it means helping one family in a moment they’ll never forget. We genuinely care about the people who live here.”
On August 11, President Donald Trump declared a “crime emergency” for the District of Columbia, and five days later Governor Morrisey deployed 300 to 400 members of the West Virginia National Guard for support.
In November, state officials announced that the West Virginia National Guard would continue to participate in the presence in Washington, D.C., through at least Dec. 31.
Morrisey, in that announcement, described a re-evaluation of extending the mission every quarter through the end of fiscal 2026.
In the latest update, the West Virginia National Guard’s public affairs office provided numbers for the mission through February.
“Approximately 175 volunteer WV National Guardsmen will remain on duty through the end of Feb 2026,” according to the update.
“The mission of the WV Guard members will remain the same: to contribute to the safety of the District by conducting static and roving presence patrols. They have not, nor will they be contributing to any type of beautification efforts.”