CNG Fuelers from around the world come together to fuel the wildfire effort

Photo By Staff Sgt. Ian Kummer | California Army National Guard Spc. Rhondon Pollard, a Stockton native and resident from 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, fuels up a UH-72 Lakota helicopter at a landing zone at the Lodge Fire near Laytonville, Calif., Aug. 10, 2014. Fuelers like Pollard are essential to keeping the helicopters flying.  

CA, UNITED STATES

08.10.2014

Story by Sgt. Ian Kummer 

California National Guard Primary   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter thunders across the sky. The helicopter, towing a giant water bucket underneath, veers about for a landing at a makeshift landing zone in a grassy field. A blood-red sun is setting, almost obscured by billowing plumes of smoke on the horizon. The day's flights are almost over — but there is still much work to be done.

As the helicopter sets down on the grass and its engines power down, a heavy expanded mobility tactical truck (HEMTT) lumbers up. Two Soldiers jump out of the cab and run a fuel hose to the now silent helicopter. As the Soldiers scramble to fuel up the helicopter, the whirring of rotor blades fills the sky once again — the next helicopter landing to refuel for the next day's mission.

Fueling crews from the California Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment from Stockton, Calif. and 1st Battalion, 140th Aviation Regiment from Los Alamitos, Calif., deployed Aug. 10 to Laytonville, Calif., in support of the joint operation between the California Guard and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection at the Lodge Fire.

These Soldiers come from many walks of life — bringing a wide range of skill sets and life experiences to the missions. Many of these Soldiers are first or second generation immigrants.

“We've already seen the other side of things,” said Spc. Abraham Jimenez, a Sacramento, Calif., resident assigned as a fueler in the 1-126th. Jimenez was born in Maracay, Venezuela, and immigrated with his family to the United States when he was five years old. “Then we had the opportunity to come to this country and fight for it.”

More than half of California's Guardsmen are prior service veterans from other branches. Jimenez enlisted in the Navy as a fueler in 2005 and served with the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) nuclear aircraft carrier until 2009. Unable to find work during the height of the recession, Jimenez enlisted in the California Guard in 2010.

“It was hard for anyone to find a job, even veterans,” Jimenez said.

After years of experience on an aircraft carrier, Jimenez was well prepared to be a fueler in a Guard aviation unit.

“Fueling here on the ground is easier than fueling on a ship,” Jimenez said.

Adaptability is a crucial feature of life in the California Guard. Many of the Soldiers have been trained and served in more than one job field — learning new skills as new missions come up. Above all else, every Soldier is able to serve in combat as a basic marksman.

“When we deploy, everyone is infantry,” said Spc. Chuong Vu, from the 1-140th. Vu is a Nha Trang, Vietnam, native who enlisted in the active duty Army in 2006 as a fueler, and joined the California Guard in 2013. Today this Fountain Valley, Calif., resident is also certified as a truck driver, ammo manager and aviation mechanic. He is pursuing an education as an aviation mechanic at the Crimson Technical College.

Many military members enlist because they are inspired by family members who also served. Los Angeles native and resident Spc. Ernan Ramirez, from the 1-140th, continued the military tradition established by his father, who served in the Mexican military as a captain.

To encourage himself in his goal to become a sergeant, Ramirez carries a sergeant rank insignia attached under his collar.

“My sergeant at advanced individual training taught me that,” Ramirez said about the insignia. “If you're having a bad day, just rub it for motivation.”

Soldiers must always be ready for an emergency, even at home away from duty. Spc. Rhondon Pollard from the 1-126th, first learned about the need for volunteers at the Lodge Fire at his own wedding. Pollard, a security guard who lives in Stockton as a newlywed with his wife and child, discussed the issue with his family the next day.

“I told my wife 'Sorry babe, I've got to do this,'” Pollard said.

This diverse fueler team came together at Laytonville and served the crucial role in the mission. This support is essential to the helicopter crews dropping thousands of gallons of water to quell the raging fires.

“Without the fuelers, the pilots can't fly,” Ramirez said.

• Date Taken: 08.10.2014
• Date Posted: 08.11.2014 18:11
• Story ID: 139020
• Location: CA, US
• Hometown: FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA, US
• Hometown: SACRAMENTO, CA, US
• Hometown: MARACAY, VE
• Hometown: NHA TRANG, VN