Photo By Maj. Jason Sweeney | California National Guard Soldiers participate in CAL FIRE hand crew training Sept. 6...... read more read more
As a dozen large wildfires raged across California, the California Office of Emergency Services reached out for support from the California National Guard.
The call went out two days before the start of the Labor Day weekend. That Friday, about 350 Cal Guard Soldiers reported their armories to join the fight against the fires.
Called Task Force 144th Field Artillery, their mission was to work as hand crews alongside firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
On Sept. 7, after a week of training at Camp Roberts, the task force headed out to the Salmon-August Complex Fire that was threating the town of Etna, California; and to the Mission Fire, near Oakhurst, California. The troops are expected to remain activated through the month of September and will be sent to wherever needed.
Most of the troops in the task force are from 1st Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment, but also from the 250th Military Intelligence Battalion, the 315th Engineer Vertical Construction Company, the 216th Mobility Augmentation Company (MAC), as well as augmentees from other Cal Guard units.
While at Camp Roberts, the troops received classroom instruction on several subjects, including the organization of their teams and basic safety skills. On Sept. 6, they marched up the camp’s baking hot hills in full firefighting gear, including thick boots, flame-retardant suits, helmets and gloves.
The Soldiers were divided up into 12 hand crews led by about 50 experienced CAL FIRE firefighters who ran them through six training stations where they practiced everything from using fire shelters to digging trenches, chopping logs and cutting fire lines with tools such as the Pulaski, McLeod and specialized shovels.
CAL FIRE firefighter Wade Vierra was one of the instructors working with the troops. “It’s fun teaching them, getting them going, and bonding with them,” he said. “It’s a good thing.”
“They’re doing good,” said 1st Lt. Carlos Martinez, a 216th MAC platoon leader who ran through the stations with the troops. “They’re Soldiers so they’re used to working in tough conditions. They’re excited to get out there.”
Private 1st Class Christian Noriega, from the 1-144th Field Artillery, said he was learning how to cut fire lines and use the various tools and was ready to head out and fight the fires.
“We bring a little bit of discipline to the fight, maybe more than your average citizen volunteer,” he said.
“I’m 50 percent excited, fifty percent cautious,” he said about heading out to the fires. He said a month was a long time to be away from home but added that his girlfriend is proud that he’s doing something for the community.
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2017 19:41 |
| Story ID: | 247394 |
| Location: | CAMP ROBERTS, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 541 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cal Guard troops train up and head out to fight raging wildfires, by MAJ Jason Sweeney, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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