AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR Firefighters beat the heat

Staff Sgt. Kevin Vaughn, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, operates the Oshkosh Striker crash truck on the flight line June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The striker carries 3,000 gallons of water and 420 gallons of firefighting foam. It can discharge the water or foam from a roof turret, which flows 1,250 gallons per minute, or a front bumper mounted turret, which flows 300 gpm. The AUAB fire department is the busiest in the Air Force based on call volume. The warm weather here places additional stress on systems that sometimes results in the outbreak of a fire, such as motors running hotter on vehicles or electrical systems overheating when under high demand. Additionally, unlike at home station, the 379th ECES fire department works with coalition partners and host nation partners in support of several types of aircraft on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

AL UDEID AIR BASE, QATAR
07.07.2016
Story by Senior Airman Janelle Patiño
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department provide word-class fire and emergency service where they protect lives and properties from all hazards. In addition, they also provide premier fire and emergency services and host a robust fire prevention and education program here.

The AUAB fire department is the busiest in the Air Force based on call volume. Additionally, unlike at home station, fire department Airmen work with coalition and host nation partners in support of several types of aircraft on base.

Staff Sgt. Gregory Mazzone, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, and Tech. Sgt. Gabriel Boulware, 379th ECES crew chief, repack the 1 ¾-inch hand line from Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Repacking a hand line requires certain hose lines loaded in specific ways for different situations. Ensuring the hose is placed back on the Engine 21 correctly is critical to its rapid deployment at the next emergency where it is needed. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Staff Sgt. Josh Patterson, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Engine 21 operator, increases the throttle of Engine 21’s fire pump to the appropriate pressure of 120 pounds per square inch, which is the required pressure for a 1 ¾-inch hand line June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Due to the warm weather, many of the fires occur outside to include fires in dumpsters, large generators overheating and catching fire and fuel spills caused by heat-expanded fuel that overflows out of aircraft fuel vents. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Staff Sgt. Josh Patterson, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Engine 21 operator, operates the fire pump of Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Fire pump operators go through training and classroom time to understand how a fire pump functions and how to effectively operate it. Firefighters conduct training daily to improve their response to building fires, aircraft fires, rescuing people from auto accidents, hazardous materials incidents and technical rescue to prepare for different types of emergencies that can occur on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Senior Airman Dashawn Gilford, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, advances a 1 ¾-inch hand line, which sprays in a fog pattern June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Most Air Force and Department of Defense firefighters work 72 consecutive hours each week providing fire and emergency services to the aircraft and the base. The 379th ECES fire department works with coalition partners and host nation partners in support of several types of aircraft on base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Senior Airman Dashawn Gilford, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, stretches a 1-3/4 inch hand line, which flows approximately 150 gallons per minute, from the side of the Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The 100-foot hand line is broken into 50-foot lengths and is drained of water and rolled to remove air after each use. The hose lengths are then reattached and loaded back onto the engine neatly and correctly to ensure a smooth deployment when an emergency arises. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Senior Airman Dashawn Gilford, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, dons his personal protective equipment prior to stretching a 1 ¾-inch hand line from the side of the Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Firefighters place their personal protective equipment onto the fire truck and inspect their self-contained breathing apparatus in preparation for each work shift. Fire truck operators also inspect and start the truck to ensure the vehicle is ready for service and nothing is broken or missing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Senior Airman Dashawn Gilford, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, dons his self-contained breathing apparatus face piece prior to operating a hand line from Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. There is more than one fire station here to provide adequate coverage and quick response time based on the geography of the base and volume of calls. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Senior Airman Dashawn Gilford, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, dons his personal protective equipment prior to stretching a 1 ¾-inch hand line from the side of Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The 379th ECES fire department consists of enlisted personnel from Active Duty, Air National Guard and Reserve units. Its structure mirrors most fire departments both in the military and civilian world to include a fire chief, deputy fire chief, training chief, fire prevention and inspection division and emergency communications center crew chiefs. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Staff Sgt. Josh Patterson, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Engine 21 operator, adjusts a scene light prior to operating the fire pump on Engine 21 June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The fire department here is the busiest fire department in the Air Force based on call volume. Despite their operations tempo, the firefighters also assist with fire sprinkler system maintenance and teach fire safety to school children at the American School of Doha. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Master Sgt. Amy Hartman, 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron mental health NCO in charge, briefs firefighters of the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at Fire Station 3 during their weekly roll call held June 24, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The 379th ECES fire department provides word-class fire and emergency service where they protect lives and properties from all hazards. In addition, they also provide premier fire and emergency services and host robust fire prevention and education program. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Janelle Patiño/Released)

Members of the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal pass through the technical decontamination corridor to ensure all contaminants are washed off of the responders during a hazardous materials exercise March 16, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Members from the fire department, explosive ordnance disposal unit, bio-environmental engineering and emergency management participated in the exercise to respond to a simulated reported explosion inside a building and safely inspect the area of any hazardous material. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jared Mumma/Released)

ATLANTIC OCEAN Deployment

ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 02, 2016) Sailors practice carrying a casualty during a drill aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is deployed with the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group to support maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleets areas of operation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan Wilkes/Released)

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In the air, on the water, underground: 9th CST radiation drills push the limits

Courtesy Photo | The California National Guard's 9th Civil Support Team (CST) tests a platform and hoist system the team designed for the QinetiQ Talon robot during a May exercise in San Diego focused on preventing international smuggling of radiation sources. The Los Alamitos-based CST specializes in responding to incidents involving a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminant. Photo by Capt. Shane Foss

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES
07.05.2016
Story by Brandon Honig
California National Guard

California’s vast terrain includes a 140-mile international border and 840 miles of coastline — that’s nearly a thousand miles of potential illegal entry points. Keeping those points closed to the smuggling of dangerous materials is vital to our national security.

“I ask myself daily how we haven’t had an attack with a bomb or chemical weapon; I like to think it’s because of our vigilance that has stifled would-be attackers,” said Staff Sgt. David Brian of the California National Guard’s 9th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction). “It’s extremely important that different agencies stay vigilant and work well with each other to prepare for these events, because it’s only a matter of time. There’s no limit to what the people who want to hurt this country will do.”

Brian was speaking in April in San Diego, where he was participating in a multi-agency exercise to detect smugglers bringing radiation sources into the country via maritime routes. A month later, the Los Alamitos-based 9th CST was back in San Diego for a similar multi-agency exercise, this time detecting radiation-smugglers in underground tunnels.

“[The CST] are our experts; they’re the top tier,” said Brian Jensen, training lieutenant for the San Diego Harbor Police. “If there were a really bad real-world situation [involving radiation or other hazardous contaminants], we would look to them and say, ‘You’re the subject matter experts, this is your bailiwick.’”


Members of the California National Guard's 9th Civil Support Team gather
sensor readings off a boat near San Diego while aboard an HH-60G Pave Hawk
helicopter from the Cal Guard's 129th Rescue Wing during an April exercise
focused on preventing international smuggling of radiation sources.




Exposing Themselves to Risk
The Harbor Police led the April 25-29 maritime exercise, which included three CSTs, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, the Coast Guard and many City of San Diego elements, as well as the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing.

The 129th participated in a series of trials to determine if the CST could gather radiation readings off a boat while hovering overhead in an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. In one scenario, hostages were taken aboard a cruise ship, and a SWAT team preparing to breach the ship needed to know what type of environment they were about to enter.

“From where we were up in the helo, with the readings on our equipment, we were able to calculate how much energy was on the boat itself, and that correlates to how long personnel can work in that environment [safely],” said Staff Sgt. Jason Villasenor of the 9th CST. “In a [real-world] situation like this, someone from a responding agency has to be there in the presence of the potential radiation source, exposing themselves to risk. To make that mission a success, we need to make sure the people going in are comfortable relying on us to get them that information without slowing them down.”

Ensuring different agencies are comfortable relying on each other was a main objective of the San Diego exercises. During the hostage scenario, for instance, two CST soldiers integrated into a SWAT team formation and provided the team a real-time assessment of the environmental dangers.

“It’s always good to have opportunities to work with other agencies and get a feel for how they operate,” Brian said. “We’ve done missions where we work side-by-side in a stack with SWAT, and others where they clear the room and then bring us in. Each unit works a bit differently, so it’s vital that we rehearse and get to see how they operate and show them our capabilities and how we operate.”

A Step Ahead
The CST continually works to improve the way it operates, including finding ways to use cutting-edge technologies to increase capabilities. During the May 24-26 tunnel exercise, for instance, the CST used a remotely operated robot to gather readings and employed a multi-laser digital mapping system to create a blueprint of an area inaccessible to GPS.

The 9th is the first of the nation’s 57 CSTs to experiment with a QinetiQ Talon robot, which can climb stairs, drag 300 pounds through water and survive explosions. Most importantly, it keeps human team members out of harm’s way.

"We’re the guys that suit up, go downrange and do the hands-on operation to bring back samples from inside the hot zone,” said Sgt. Taylor Coe, of the CST, during an exercise late last year. "Why not send a robot in, instead of having two of our guys risk their lives?”


Staff Sgt. Zachary Liles of the North Carolina National Guard's 42nd Civil
Support Team (CST) uses a QinetiQ Talon robot to detect non-hazardous
radiation sources planted in a tunnel in the San Diego area for a
multi-agency exercise focused on international smuggling May 26. The
California Guard and New Mexico Guard also contributed to the exercise with
CSTs, which specialize in responding to incidents involving a chemical,
biological, radiological or nuclear contaminant. Photo by Capt. Shane Foss


In San Diego the CST found creative ways to insert the Talon into different locations, including using a winch-and-pulley system to hoist it onto the Midway aircraft carrier and welding a platform to lower it into a tunnel with a 70-foot vertical drop. Once in the tunnel, the Talon’s sensors successfully located multiple radiation sources that had been planted for the exercise and relayed accurate information to the CST via radio.

“The robot is a good tool,” said Maj. Drew Hanson, deputy commander of the 9th CST. “The proof of concept [for using it in the CST] has been established.”

 Sgt. David Brian of the California National Guard's 9th Civil Support Team
(CST), right, and Sgt. 1st Class Damien Silva of the D.C. National Guard's
33rd CST examine sensor readings April 28 aboard a boat in Mission Bay, San
Diego, during an exercise to prevent international smuggling of radiation
sources.




Test to the Limits
Unlike the Talon, which the 9th has trained with for about a year, the Enhanced Mapping and Positioning System (EMAPS) made its first appearance at a CST exercise in May. A soldier carried EMAPS in a backpack while walking through a tunnel under a water treatment plant, enabling the 4-pound system to build a digital representation with each step.

EMAPS uses a laser scanner to measure distances to walls and other objects, and a second laser can be added to collect those data in 3D. The resulting map is highly detailed, including elements such as columns and ceiling panels. Additional sensors can map the location of radiation sources or other toxic materials.

“We can go in somewhere where nobody knows what it looks like, do a quick site survey and get a blueprint of the whole target,” said Capt. Shane Foss, operations officer for the CST. “Once you bring that out [of the site], we can develop a plan based on the blueprint you developed.”

The team also tested their communications vigorously, using the Mobile Field Kit and Android Tactical Awareness Kit (MFK/ATAK) to share data remotely. The 9th CST and Massachusetts’ 1st CST pioneered the use of the MFK/ATAK package, researching the technology and partnering with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to bring it to reality.

“Without the MFK, a survey team member would need to gather their readings, get out of the hot zone and go through the decontamination process before we could begin analyzing the data,” Hanson said. “With the MFK, sensor readings, radiation spectra and pictures can be sent to the command post in real time, allowing the science team to analyze information and provide assessments before the entry team even gets out of the hot zone.”

Based on the 9th and 1st CSTs’ research and successful tests of the MFK/ATAK package, it soon will become a standard part of all CSTs’ equipment.

Hanson said every 9th CST exercise stretches the team’s technological capabilities to evaluate their performance in disparate environments.

“We don’t set ourselves up for failure, but we design each exercise to test every piece of equipment we have to the limits,” he said. “We’ve got to know what’s feasible and what’s not.”

Unified Effort
When disaster strikes, the strength of all our responding agencies may be needed, and they’ll need to work seamlessly to minimize damage. The 9th CST covers roughly half of California (with the Cal Guard’s 95th CST managing the northern half), requiring coordination with agencies all over the map.

“We are here to augment and support them when they need us — not to supplant, but to support,” Hanson said. “Becoming good partners with police and fire, FBI, the Department of Energy, Border Patrol, and all the other agencies, sometimes comes down to figuring out ways to get integrated with them and make sure they realize we can be a tremendous asset for them as needed. That’s why we exist.”

Hanson said the CST’s integration with agencies in Southern California improves every year. The San Diego maritime exercise, for example, showed a “true unified effort” between the various responding agencies.

“This is an important step toward us becoming a comfortable piece in their regional operations,” Hanson said. “The Harbor Police understands how quickly resources would get eaten up in a real-world scenario like this, and we are a strong partner with some great capabilities.”

Back Road Bandits: Unique Teams Provide Essential Support During Flooding

Spec. Ryan White and Spec. James Neesmith consult with a Department of Highways worker while traveling the back roads of Kanawha County.

WV, UNITED STATES
07.05.2016
Story by Sgt. Zoe Morris
153rd Public Affairs Detachment

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - In a state known for back roads that wind over mountains and up hollows, the West Virginia National Guard is deploying unique teams for immediate, boots-on-the- ground information during the June flooding and aftermath, according to Sgt. Nicholas Rhodes, Liaison Officer (LNO) Coordinator for the WVNG Joint Operations Command.

Community Assessment Teams perform a wide variety of essential duties, Rhodes said. They are often the first presence of the National Guard in communities. Comprised of two vehicles and four personnel at a minimum, they do everything from data collection, supply delivery, search and rescue, route reconnaissance, and evacuee transport.

Spc. Ryan White, a combat engineer with 111th Engineering Brigade, leads CAT Team One. He has been on the ground since the first day of flooding and has seen almost every aspect of flood duty.

The team started by working hand-in-hand with the WVNG Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) Soldiers and the Clendenin Fire Department Swiftwater Rescue Team.
“We had a good number of people trapped in Clendenin, across the river,” White said. “We were first tasked to find a place to put in the [swiftwater rescue] boats, and as the water receded, we were still trying to get people out while the current was massive.”
“Within a couple of hours we were able to drive the vehicles close enough, and it turned out there was a high number of elderly people and infants,” he said. “We were able to load them up into LMTVs [Light Medium Tactical Vehicles] and safely take them to Capitol High School.”

According to Capt. Will Hargis, with the CERF-P team, more than 60 people were rescued from critical situations by Friday evening.

The CAT Teams moved three truckloads of civilians.

“I’ve never seen anything like that first day we were here,” said Pfc. Travaris Holmes, also on CAT Team One. “We carried trucks of people that lost their homes, vehicles and everything to the flood. It felt good being able to help those people, especially the elderly. I think just being here for some of those people makes a difference.”

From there the teams were moved to more rural roads, performing reconnaissance around Kanawha County. With cell towers and phones lines out, the team got much of their information from people they met on the road or while doing house-to-house visits.

They were able to communicate information immediately back to the JOC, providing that on-the-ground information that was needed, Rhodes said.

While driving out one road White said a resident commented on the smell of natural gas that was further up the hollow. White and Holmes are both volunteer firefighters and familiar with the effects of a gas leak. They did smell gas and an investigated confirmed there was a broken pipe and large leak next to three houses.

“We knocked on their doors and explained we couldn’t make them get out, but that we highly recommended it,” he said. “The fumes can be dangerous to breathe, and they definitely didn’t need to light up a cigarette.”

“For us here in the Joint Operations Center, [the CAT Teams provide] everything from numbers of displaced persons, businesses that have been destroyed, and homes that have been destroyed,” said Rhodes. “Also they assist in the communities by delivering not only supplies from the military - like MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) and water, but also supplies from the donation centers. Search and rescues also part of their mission. If you had a family member that no one had heard from yet, or even an area that no one had been out yet, the CAT Team can go out and assess the area and determine how impassible it is and if anyone in the area needs assistance.”

“We love when people wave us down,” White said. “It means they need something that we can help with, or need something we can get, or want to tell us something, share information.”

White, a combat engineer, is able to do swift recons of bridges and roadways. Driving a six-ton LMTV, he had to be aware of the safety for himself and others coming behind him. If anything seems dangerous, he can call the information in so a more thorough assessment can be made.

CAT Teams are made up Soldiers or Airmen with a variety of specialized jobs. It’s a volunteer duty and their units usually identify the troops. A lot of people on this duty have done flood duty in the past, Rhodes said, and are very qualified for this job.

Being that they cover a lot of miles - more then 800 this past week, according to White - and have a lot of face time with residents, White and another team member, Spc. James Neesmith, try to keep informed about available resources.

“I think that's what sets this state apart,” Neesmith said. “The amount of response in a time of need. I’m amazed at all the different teams set up.”

Neesmith said he has had people come to him asking how to properly dispose of American flags and said he was humbled in this time of crisis that West Virginians were still concentrating on things like that. The team got in contact with a local Veterans of Foreign War post and now has a drop off point for proper disposal of American flags.

“It's all those little details that are making people's lives easier,” Neesmith said.

With a possibility of flooding in the northeastern part of West Virginia, the JOC once again turned to CAT Teams. By the evening of July 4th, there were eight LMTVs and 16 personnel deployed in three counties around the eastern panhandle - standing by, ready to roll out those back roads.