When someone pulls you from the wreckage of a car bomb in the deserts of Iraq, you’re bound to be bonded.

Even so, Southern California Edison Business Resiliency Advisor Steve Nunez never imagined that the medic who helped him to safety after an explosive attack would become his coworker 20 years later as civilians. The two now work together at SCE helping coordinate the company’s emergency response plans and training team members on incident management.

But back in the early 2000s, when they were unknowingly stationed in the same part of the Middle East, their paths crossed in a moment neither will forget.

“Derek Harp and I were in the California Army National Guard together,” Nunez said. “We deployed in 2004 for support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3 where we got sent to South Baghdad to run patrols and security operations in town.”

During a routine patrol, Nunez was in the back of a four-vehicle convoy when he spotted a suspicious blue Chevy Caprice parked beside the road.

“As I was about to get out of the car to check it out, the hairs on my neck went up and I thought ‘hey, this is bad’,” Nunez said. “I shut the door, told the driver to hit the gas and was about to pull my gunner in when the car bomb went off.”

The blast killed the soldier manning the gun, left the two in the back seat and the driver with severe leg injuries and Nunez with several broken toes and damage to his right arm.

The explosion’s force rippled throughout the town, shaking the small power plant where Harp, also an SCE Business Resiliency advisor, was stationed. He and his unit jumped into action, quickly responding to provide medical care.

“I knew right away that I wouldn’t be able to save one of our guys, he was killed in action,” Harp said. “I moved to treat Steve and called for backup to secure the area and check for secondary explosives.”

As backup raced to the scene, Nunez continued looking out for his fellow soldiers, despite his injuries.

“What I remember from Steve was him yelling at me to help the others first,” added Harp. “He wanted me to look after his team and make sure they were OK before him.”

That was the early stages of a long war, and an even longer friendship. The duo went on to serve two deployments before life took them in different directions.

After 31 years, Nunez retired from the California Army National Guard as a command sergeant major and made his way to SCE. Harp spent 21 years in the service and was promoted to captain before deciding to seek a job that let him spend more time with his newborn son.

A lot of life later, after Nunez had spent a few years working at SCE, he heard a familiar name come up in a conversation about an open position.

“Someone asked if anyone knew a Derek Harp. I’m like, ‘yeah, I know him very well,’” Nunez said. “You need to grab him in a hurry.”

Now, the two use their military and tactical experience to tag team SCE's emergency response and planning. 

“My time in the military gave me a really good understanding of emergency management and has acted as a sort of bridge into what I do now — thinking about high-level issues and how to plan for them,” Harp said.

The colleagues have now trained hundreds of team members to manage incidents, from wildfires to snowstorms and hurricanes, with one goal — keep communities safe. And it all connects back to that day more than two decades ago, when they fought to keep the U.S. and each other safe.

Their bond has withstood it all — explosions, war and a lot of time.

“As soon as he walked in, it was like he never left — we just changed uniforms,” Nunez said.

For more information on SCE career opportunities, visit edisoncareers.com.