Cpl. Sebastien Vachon has served approximately two and a half years in the Marine Corps as an aircraft rescue firefighter. Vachon has been awarded two meritorious masts, the first for responding to emergencies during the 2015 MCAS Beaufort Air Show, and the second for responding to a downed F-18 in Valdosta, Ga. He is originally from Montreal, Canada, and is finishing out his time in Beaufort before serving as a Marine Security Guard. Vachon is with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, MCAS Beaufort.
Story by Lance Cpl. Samantha Torres
“The Noise you hear is the sound of freedom” is what is proudly displayed by the front gate of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. The air station is much like a heavy piece of machinery: there are many working parts needed to get the job done.
The air station supports Marine Aircraft Group 31, and behind the scenes there are Marines and sailors who support and respond to the needs of the personnel of the air station, ensuring mission readiness.
When a gear in the machine breaks or needs a little oil to keep it turning, the ‘Doc’ steps in and makes the repair. Corpsmen respond to Marines in the event of an emergency and are the on-scene combat life savers.
“In my spare time, I do a lot of studying for my job to make sure I’m always up to date and educated in the medical field,” said Petty Officer 3rd class Premel Price, a corpsman with Naval Hospital Beaufort.
When all gears are properly maintained and cared for, the operator can accomplish the mission at hand. Motor transportation operators such as Cpl. Cameron Netz with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, are trained to operate heavy machinery to support the air station and the mission.
Getting the machinery to and from each point requires a team of first responders in the event of a mishap. Aircraft rescue and firefighting Marines are the first ones to show up to the scene of a jet crash or even something as small as a flat tire on the runway in less than five minutes from when the call is made.
For example, in February when an F/A-18D Hornet experience a mishap in the swamps of Valdosta, Ga., Cpl. Sebastien Vachon and two other ARFF Marines with headquarters and headquarters squadron responded to the scene, working hand in hand with motor transport Marines and U.S. airmen. They worked together to safely clean up and transport the remains of the jet to where it needed to be.
If chemicals are ever involved, there is, of course, a response team. A Marine is all about mission readiness for when the call is made.
Chemical biological radiological and nuclear defense specialists are the Marines everyone sees operating in the gas chamber. Although the suits they don may look like something out of a horror movie, they are life-saving.
“While the Marine Corps has a first to fight mentality, sometimes we don’t know what we are stepping into and embrace the unknown,” said Sgt. Benjamin E. Frazier, a CBRN defense specialist with Marine Aircraft Group 31.
All the different jobs are crucial for the operation of the air station and keep the ‘machinery’ up and operating. Whether it is sitting behind a desk, turning a wrench, or fighting fires, every Marine plays their role for the air station and keeps the gears of the big machine moving.
Cpl. Cameron Netz has served two years in the Marine Corps as a motor transportation operator. Netz was awarded a certificate of commendation for hauling 1,960 pounds of equipment during pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif. Netz is also a rifle and pistol range coach and advises Marines to never give up; failure is not an option. Netz is with Marine Wing Support Squadron 273, Marine Aircraft Group 31.
