Trainers assist a firefighter from the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron as he participates in a 150-pound dummy drag during a fire muster at the Wolf Pack Fitness Center on Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, June 13, 2015. The fire muster gave Airmen from all over the wing an opportunity to test their fitness abilities against one another. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson/Released)
Story by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Wilson
SOUTH KOREA
- The 8th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department tested Wolf Pack Airmen's
physical fitness capabilities during their annual base wide Fire Muster at the
Wolf Pack Fitness Center here, June 13.
Fire musters give Airmen from different career
fields across the wing an opportunity to test their fitness abilities against
one another. Events were broken up into individual and team categories.
"It's nice when Airmen can come out and
see what other jobs entail," said Staff Sgt. Jordan Lorenzen, 8th CES
firefighter crew chief. "Are you physically fit enough to perform any job
in the Air Force across the board, or are you just fit for ... your job?"
Lorenzen was responsible for organizing and
coordinating the event.
"It was great seeing Airmen not only
perform the physical part of our job, but exceling at it," Lorenzen said.
"They were competitive in the firefighter world even though they're not
firefighters."
The fire muster was open to the entire base
for individual and team events.
Participants had eight minutes to complete a
10-stage firefighter training circuit. Each stage in the challenge was modeled
after the physical training test Airmen are required to take prior to
graduating from firefighter technical school.
Master Sgt.
Shiona Meyer, 8th Medical Group first sergeant, participates in a fire truck
pull during a fire muster at the Wolf Pack Fitness Center on Kunsan Air Base,
Republic of Korea, June 13, 2015. The fire muster gave Airmen in career fields
from all over the wing an opportunity to test their fitness abilities against
one another. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson/Released)
"It's a challenging event all
around," Lorenzen said. "We provided an opportunity for people to
come out and try a training circuit they were not accustomed to."
Tech. Sgt. Brian Daubert, 8th Operation
Support Squadron Survive, Evade, Resist and Escape NCO in charge, won the
individual challenge with a time of five minutes and 20 seconds. Some of the
tasks in the individual category included a 100-foot charged hose line pull, a
150-pound dummy drag, a five-inch hose drag and a Hurst equipment carry.
"I can see how someone can underestimate
the course, thinking it's easy," said Daubert. "The hose pull was the
hardest part for me. Performing the events back to back was also tough."
The latter portion of the fire muster was
geared towards team-building and camaraderie. The Republic of Korea Air Force
and Gunsan City fire departments also participated in the fire muster.
"Any opportunity we have to interact with
the ROKAF or Gunsan City fire department sharpens our operations, whether it's
for training or a fire muster," Lorenzen said.
Firefighters from ROKAF and the U.S. Air Force
routinely collaborate for aircraft and structural fire training.
"When we're focused on achieving a goal,
it brings us together," Lorenzen said. "That way, we're more prepared
to collaborate during a crisis or emergency."
