Photo By Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez | Air Force Reserve firefighters conduct fire pit training Aug. 11, 2017, during...... read more read more
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The call to serve, protect and cover your buddy’s back is a common theme in the military, but one group that fully embraces that motto is firefighters within the Armed Forces. When the heat comes on at Patriot Warrior 2017, firefighters are ready to put out the flames.
Patriot Warrior is Air Force Reserve Command's four-week premier exercise at Fort McCoy, Young Air Assault Strip, and Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin. Citizen Airmen from across the Air Force Reserve come together to sharpen their skills. It provides an opportunity for Airmen to train with joint services and is designed to test Reservists’ ability to provide combat-ready forces and operate in dynamic, contested environments.
"They put us in difficult, uncomfortable situations, but that's when we learn the most," said Senior Airman Adam Coyle, a 445th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter from Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Six different squadrons of firefighters from across the country participated in this year’s Patriot Warrior, with many of the firefighters slated to deploy overseas in the next year. The airmen engaged in hands-on training, learning to operate in a joint environment with other U.S. Air Force units and U.S. Army firefighters as well.
During a variety of challenging training scenarios at Patriot Warrior, teams battle controlled burns, attend land-navigation classes, and update their proficiency with firefighting tools. They also become well acquainted with the emergency procedures of the C-130 Hercules aircraft and Army HH-60M MEDEVAC helicopter.
By far, the most memorable event is the jet fuel fire-pit training. Jet fuel is added to a shallow water pit and ignited. Flames leap and contort into a massive pillar of smoke as the firefighters practice attack tactics, combating the fire with air rescue and fire fighting vehicles using line operations. It’s a unique opportunity to observe how fire behaves when interacting with the kind of fuel that would be present in the case of an aircraft crash. "This hands-on training would not be possible back at home station, which doesn’t have those types of capabilities or funding,” said Senior Airman Alexandrina Lopez, 445th CES firefighter.
During a culminating event, firefighters practiced automobile extrication where vehicles are set up to simulate accidents with trapped passengers. The scenario is developed to train them on practical skills as well as challenging their decision-making abilities as they apply various tactics to secure the vehicles and save the victims. All the skills they’ve learned are tested during a night-time low water crossing Humvee Extrication scenario where they apply land navigation techniques while using night vision goggles to rescue injured victims in a hostile environment.
The experience and skills developed in these training scenarios are invaluable. It builds on the passion of a committed group of individuals. As one of the firefighters, Senior Airman Jacob Conway, 445th Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, remarked, "I joined firefighting because I think it’s the greatest job in the world. I love going to work, helping people, and doing something I always wanted to do since I was a kid."
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2017 02:28 |
| Story ID: | 257738 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Putting Out the Flames at Patriot Warrior, by TSgt Efren Lopez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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