Saturday, August 18, 2018

Passion drives only female firefighter supporting Northern Strike

Lady Stinger solo female fire fighter for Northern Strike 18.
Staff Sgt. Andrea Villegas, fire protection, 180th Fighter Wing, Toledo, Ohio, drives the Stryker fire truck during a training mission at Northern Strike 18, Alpena, MI, Aug. 14, 2018.

ALPENA, MI, UNITED STATES
08.15.2018
Story by Airman 1st Class Tiffany Clark
110th Attack Wing 
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ALPENA, MI - Across the U.S. military there are extraordinary women fighting for the freedom of their friends and family. In various roles, women carry out the same job as their male counterparts. In 1948, when President Truman signed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, it allowed women to serve directly in the military. This paved the way for women like Staff Sgt. Andrea Villegas, fire protection, 180th Fighter Wing, Toledo, Ohio, also known as the Stingers, to be the only female firefighter executing training missions at Northern Strike 18 today.

Humble and hard-working, Villegas knew from a young age that she would serve her country in whatever capacity she could. After considering active duty Air Force, she decided it wasn’t the right time to leave her family, so with high hopes, she pursued her education and discovered the Ohio Air National Guard.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do; I just knew I wanted it to be in the military,” said Villegas through a shy smile, her fingers folded politely in her lap as she collected her thoughts. “When you think of the military, it’s so honorable and such a cool thing, I knew I had to be part of it and it could help me further my education too.”

Villegas knew she wanted to help people, so when she was provided with the options for a career path, it became clear that fire protection was the only way for her to go.

“You know when you’re a kid and you see fire trucks speeding past you? There is this excited feeling, like, ‘they are saving someone,’ so when they called with all of the options of what I could do, I had to go with fire because I wanted to be the one saving people,” said Villegas; her shy smile turning into a wide grin as a passionate fire sparked in her eyes. Her hands became expressive as she described making her decision and not looking back.

“My favorite part about being a firefighter is the excitement of not knowing what we are running into when those tones drop - along with the medical aspect,” said Villegas. “I can’t imagine doing anything else, besides being a mom.”

Villegas set her sights high: even throughout her 68-day technical training with the 180th Fighter Wing, she pushed herself past her limits to prove she had what it took to ‘hang with the boys.’

“It is definitely difficult being a woman in this career field; in tech school, I actually had people pull me aside and say, ‘You might want to consider a different career path,’ because they didn’t think I could do it,” said Villegas. “I thought to myself, ‘the hell I can’t.’ I felt like I had something to prove, so I gave it my all and ended up beating the Marines' fastest times.”

With her current goals, high motivation, and follow-through, Villegas is not done yet. She is setting herself up to move through the ranks and come out on top.

“I am studying fire administration at the school. my main goal when I got into firefighting was to become our bases' fire chief, but then I got to know our chief and how many responsibilities he has; he makes it all look effortless,” said Villegas. “It’s inspiring, but it is also going to take a lot of hard work to get there.”

Villegas is a stay-at-home mom on the civilian side and loves being able to raise her children. Setting an example for them is her top priority.

“My current job is just being a mom to my babies, but once they are old enough I would love to work at the fire department, whether it’s on-base or on the city department,” said Villegas, her eyes shining at the possibilities of her future. “Right now, I think of my Guard duty as a side gig to my being a mom, so when people usually ask me what I do I say, ‘I’m a mom, AND I am a firefighter.’”

Villegas arrived in Alpena for NS18. Only to find out she would be the only female for the entire training mission. Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Wohlford, Fire Chief, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena, MI, has been working closely with Villegas during NS18 to assist her in getting prepared for real-life scenarios.

Passion drives only female firefighter supporting Northern Strike 18 at Alpena CRTC
“During the vehicle extrication exercise, she was the Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) driver, and helped put out the live fire for the exercise at the Calcite quarry during the coalition training," said Wohlford. “She was in charge of the three coalition Latvian partners during one of the exercises, which was difficult because they don’t speak English that well, and tonight she is driving the big Stryker truck during our live fire exercise.”

The fire chief raved about Villegas and how she handled the guys around her. He commended her on her abilities as a firefighter with a giant smile. Wohlford acknowledged the change in culture when allowing women to join the career field.

“It has to be challenging at times, especially with the way this career field is. The guys can be rough, and they aren’t very politically correct, but it is still a brotherhood and she holds her own as a sister in that brotherhood,” said Wohlford. “They keep a protective stance around her, in situations when they could just leave her behind, they don’t because at the end of the day we are still a team with one mission so we do everything we can to make sure everyone comes home.”

The Department of Defense's Women’s Equality Day is Aug. 26, 2018. Women like Staff Sgt. Andrea Villegas are an inspiration to others who serve, and those that will serve after her.

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