Two off-duty military police officers based in Mannheim, Germany, were on a day trip to Paris in February when their quick reactions helped an older woman who was hit by a motor scooter.

Sgt. Christopher Grooms, who is assigned to the U.S. Army Europe’s Office of the Provost Marshal with Staff Sg. Joe Willie, said they didn’t see the whole thing, but they sure heard it.

A scooter had run a red light and the woman was in a crosswalk, Grooms said.

"I heard a loud bang and I saw this motor scooter sliding down the road … and the old lady goes flying through the air and landed on a parked car on her head," Grooms said. "She was extremely dazed."

Willie immediately positioned his sport utility vehicle to shield the woman from traffic while the two servicemen tended to her. They were able to overcome the language barrier to explain to her they are American law enforcement officers. As Willie took over tending to the woman, Grooms started directing traffic around the scene until paramedics and police arrived.

"She was really freaked out until I got across to her we were Americans and we were law enforcement," Grooms said. "She got walloped pretty good."

For their actions, Grooms and Willie were honored last week with the Army Commendation Medal.

Grooms said his military training and experience as a deputy sheriff in Effingham County, Ga., near Savannah, took over. He estimated he has done several different jobs at thousands of accident scenes, including directing traffic.

Grooms describes their actions as something they were supposed to do and trained to do as MPs and called the medal an added bonus to doing a good deed.

"I am honored," Grooms said. "I was surprised."

There was no word on any potential legal action taken against the scooter operator.