Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Jones | U.S. Army Firefighters Spc. Joshua Panlilio, Spc. Ryan Avveduto and Spc. Zachariah...... read more read more
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FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. – As they wait for the British C-130 cargo plane to land on the nearby airstrip, three Army firefighters practice their rapid equipment drill, suiting up into their protective suits and masks, accomplishing the task in well under a minute. Behind them is their military version of a fire truck. The plane carries British paratroopers, practicing their drops in the nearby hills and mountains. Landings and take-offs on the dusty airstrip can be challenging, as well as dangerous. Operating in such rugged terrain is good practice for the pilots and paratroopers, but it also provides a rare opportunity for the Army Reserve firefighters who stand ready to help, a few hundred yards away, in case anything goes wrong.
”Every time we have a bird coming in, we’re all standing by,” said Staff Sgt. Andrew Heydon, from Fountain Valley, Calif., and a team chief for the 702nd Engineer Detachment. He and 26 other Reserve Firefighters work alongside with members of the Fort Hunter Liggett Fire Dept. to ensure the flights land and take off safely, as part of the Combat Support Training Exercise 91 13-01 here.
The exercise is planned and coordinated by the 91st Training Division (Operations) at Fort Hunter Liggett. Soldiers in participating units, including these firefighters, are provided an opportunity to rehearse military maneuvers and tactics such as base security, convoy operations and battle reaction drills during simulated enemy attacks as well as apply their Military Occupational Specialty skill in a theater of operations. The exercise provides realistic training to units to successfully meet the challenges of an extended and integrated battlefield.
For firefighters in the Army Reserve, staying ready and relevant for the battlefield can be a challenge. For the three members of the 163rd Ordnance Company, from Tustin, Calif., the three-week exercise is a chance for them to get hands on experience performing a real-world mission while keeping their skills sharp. As part of an exercise that simulates deploying overseas, they get to work alongside other Army firefighters and Department of Defense civilian firefighters, something these soldiers would never get to do outside of a real deployment.
Heydon, who is a DoD firefighter in his civilian life, said training missions like these take Soldiers far beyond what they learn in the schoolhouse or back at their home units. It gives them the chance not only to prepare for combat deployments, but to further their civilian careers as well.
“A lot of these guys are trying to become firefighters,” said Heydon. “They’re trying to get a full-time, professional job. It gives them the idea of hey, this is what we do here, so I know what I would have to do once I get to a civilian department or a DoD department.”
“It gives them the opportunity to actually be a firefighter for three weeks, instead of just getting to do it every now and then,” he said.
Sgt. Kristopher Ayers, a team chief with the 324th Engineer Detachment, recalled how, while during the same exercise five years ago, he and his soldiers assisted the post fire department in putting out a wildfire. Since then his team has deployed to Afghanistan; however, he said, in a built-up theater like Afghanistan, civilian contractors perform most of those missions, so exercises like this are a Reserve soldier’s best opportunity to perform a real-world mission.
“It’s a good chance to get all these units together, since we all get deployed together,” he said.
Spc. Zachariah Levotch, a firefighter with the 163rd, is a full-time ER technician and a part-time firefighter in San Bernardino, Calif. He said training exercises like this have enhanced his civilian job skills as well as furthered his military career.
“I knew I wanted to be a firefighter, and I knew that through military service and the training through the DoD Fire Academy I would definitely have a much greater opportunity to one day being hired,” said Levotch.
“The Army Reserve has greatly helped me in advancing my career in the fire service,” he said.
Younger soldiers, like Spc. Michael J. Berry, from St. Louis, Mo., with 324th Eng. Det. in Granite City, Ill., just appreciates the chance to put his training to use and work with a large team of fellow firefighters.
“I love working with my team because not only do I get to learn from what they know, but you feed off of that, and it helps me become a better person and a better firefighter,” said Berry.
“When you’re a firefighter, it’s not just a position; it’s a team effort,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 04.13.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.14.2013 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 105169 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 356 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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