Patriot Warrior 2016

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Eric Nielsen, a firefighter from the 349th Civil Engineering Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., prepares for live structural fire training as part of exercise Patriot Warrior at Sparta/Ft. McCoy Airport, Wis., August 11, 2016. Patriot Warrior is a joint exercise designed to demonstrate contingency deployment training ranging from bare base buildup to full operational capabilities. More than 11,000 members from the U.S. service branches and their Reserve components, including Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines are participating alongside British, Canadian, and Saudi Arabian forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Dyer)

SPARTA/FT. MCCOY AIRPORT, WI, UNITED STATES

08.11.2016

Photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Dyer 

3rd Combat Camera Squadron

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joe Bushman, Assistant Chief of Operations from the 94th Civil Engineering Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., observes live structural fire training as part of exercise Patriot Warrior at Sparta/Ft. McCoy Airport, Wis., August 11, 2016. Patriot Warrior is a joint exercise designed to demonstrate contingency deployment training ranging from bare base buildup to full operational capabilities. More than 11,000 members from the U.S. service branches and their Reserve components, including Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines are participating alongside British, Canadian, and Saudi Arabian forces, (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Dyer)

U.S. Air Force firefighters prepare to enter a live structural fire during training as part of exercise Patriot Warrior at Sparta/Ft. McCoy Airport, Wis., August 11, 2016. Patriot Warrior is a joint exercise designed to demonstrate contingency deployment training ranging from bare base buildup to full operational capabilities. More than 11,000 members from the U.S. service branches and their Reserve components, including Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines are participating alongside British, Canadian, and Saudi Arabian forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Dyer)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alvin Baustista, a firefighter from the 349th Civil Engineering Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., prepares for live structural fire training as part of exercise Patriot Warrior at Sparta/Ft. McCoy Airport, Wis., August 11, 2016. Patriot Warrior is a joint exercise designed to demonstrate contingency deployment training ranging from bare base buildup to full operational capabilities. More than 11,000 members from the U.S. service branches and their Reserve components, including Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines are participating alongside British, Canadian, and Saudi Arabian forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Dyer)

U.S. Air Force firefighters prepare for live structural fire training as part of exercise Patriot Warrior at Sparta/Ft. McCoy Airport, Wis., August 11, 2016. Patriot Warrior is a joint exercise designed to demonstrate contingency deployment training ranging from bare base buildup to full operational capabilities. More than 11,000 members from the U.S. service branches and their Reserve components, including Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines are participating alongside British, Canadian, and Saudi Arabian forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christopher Dyer)

Locals Tour Ongoing Seabee Construction at Search Dog Training Center

Emily Fisk, a dog trainer, leads her search dog Skye atop a rubble pile obstacle during a tour of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation’s Training Center facility. The rubble pile was constructed by Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 25, and is one of many training facilities they built at the center to simulate realistic disaster scenarios for search dogs under the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Hooper/Released)

SANTA PAULA, CA, UNITED STATES
08.12.2016
Courtesy Story
Naval Construction Group ONE

SANTA PAULA, Calif. - Local civic and reserve military leaders toured the National Disaster Search and Rescue Dog Foundation’s (SDF) National Training Center (NTC) to see first-hand the ongoing naval construction efforts there, Aug. 12.

SDF was founded in 1996 to help strengthen disaster response capabilities by training rescued dogs and then partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to help find people buried in rubble following a disaster.

The tour highlighted the capabilities of the training facility, the search dogs and their handlers that the foundation serves, as well as the Seabees’ ongoing construction projects.

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMBC) 25 along with support from 1st Naval Construction Regiment (1 NCR) are working under the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program (IRT) and alongside a general contractor to construct various training facilities at the center. The facilities simulate realistic disaster scenarios for search dogs.

Serenity Nichols, an executive assistant at the foundation, said her first contact with the Seabees started when they volunteered at the training center, constructing a retaining wall in their off time. And it was through those interactions that she learned of the IRT program.

“The IRT program provides an opportunity for military reservists to receive readiness training while helping communities in need. In this case, they helped the Search Dog Foundation by providing resources and equipment to build training props for our canine disaster search teams. It’s a great partnership and a win-win for both the Seabees and the Search Dog Foundation,” said Nichols.

Senior Chief Builder Timothy Cooper, NMCB 25’s project officer-in-charge, spoke highly of his unit’s partnership with the SFD through the IRT program.

“The benefit for us is that it gives our Seabees a chance to exercise their construction skills. We’ve gained 22 new licenses in heavy equipment and 1200 hours of equipment operation for our Seabees,” said Cooper.

Cooper also said that the benefits of the partnership extend well beyond refining construction skills for his Seabees. He believes his troops are gaining valuable leadership skills as well.

“Our crew leaders are learning to be crew leaders and even I am learning something new every day about how to manage personnel,” said Cooper. “It’s a win-win. We’re getting a lot of excellent training and the Search Dog Foundation gets a product in the end.”

According to Cooper, the Seabees have made huge progress over the last six months on the project.

“23,000 cubic ft. of dirt has been moved and placed, 485 tons of gravel has been placed and compacted, 120 cubic yards of concrete was poured, we finished 9000 square ft. of surface area inside buildings, 500 ft. of retaining wall was installed, and 4.2 miles of fitness trails were cut in,” said Cooper.

Future work at the foundation is expected to include a collapsed building, a collapsed bridge, and an additional rubble pile to simulate real-world disasters and enhance training for the search dogs.

“You don’t construct a building that’s leaning 5 degrees in one direction and 2 degrees another direction every day. You don’t have structures that have planes crashed through the side of the building. But I’ve never worked with a better group of people,” said Cooper.

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 25, pose for a group photo with distinguished civilian visitors at the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation’s Training Center. Seabees from NMCB 25, based out of Port Hueneme, Calif., are constructing various training facilities at the center to simulate realistic disaster scenarios for search dogs under the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Hooper/Released)

Tulsa Air National Guard Base provides assistance to Tulsa Fire Department

Firefighters used Engine 65 stationed at Tulsa Air National Guard Base to provide assistance to the Tulsa Fire Department (TFD). The tanker engine can hold 2000 gallons and was used to resupply water to the TFD engines. Photo courtesy of the 138th Figher Wing.

TULSA, OK, UNITED STATES
08.12.2016
Story by Tech. Sgt. Drew Egnoske
138th Fighter Wing

Story by 1st Lt. Jennifer Proctor, 138th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Officer

TULSA, Okla. – Members of the Oklahoma Military Department (OMD) assigned to the 138th Mission Support Group at the Tulsa Air National Guard Base were called to provide assistance to the Tulsa Fire Department (TFD), Wednesday.

A tanker truck was dispatched to resupply water to the TFD’s fire engines. Firefighters from OMD, Capt. Bill Schultz and Firefighter JP Rutherford, responded to the request from the TFD to a civilian house fire.

According to Master Sgt. Matthew Tumleson, deputy fire chief for the138th Fighter Wing, there was not a fire hydrant close to the rural location.

“Normally fire engines would resupply water from a hydrant,” Tumleson said. “Our tanker, once empty, then went to the closest hydrant to resupply for them. They performed this operation several times, but their assistance didn’t stop there.”

Tumleson also added, “Once the fire was under control, TFD teamed one of our Airmen, with their guys to assist in eliminating hotspots and to salvage any personal belongings they could for the family.”

The Tulsa Air National Guard Base have mutual aid agreements with organizations such as the TFD and the Tulsa Police Department. Recently, the Base received assistance from the Tulsa Police Department after a woman made a bomb threat at the front gate. Their quick response and valiant effort to protect Base personnel displayed the importance of continued interoperability between military and civilian organizations.

“Our community relationships are very important to us as Guardsmen,” said Col. Raymond H. Siegfried III, commander of 138th Fighter Wing. “This is where we live and through mutual aid agreements and emergency management organizations, we are ready and able to provide resources to our community partners.”

Members of the 138th have been requested to respond and assist local authorities a number of times, with the most recent being a search and recovery mission after a tornado struck Owasso, Oklahoma earlier this year.

Col. Bruce Hamilton, commander of the 138th Mission Support Group, had only been in command a few days prior to seeing his personnel respond to the fire.

“I am fortunate to walk into a well-maintained organization that immediately knows what to do when a call for help comes in,” Hamilton said. “Their readiness training has paid off and they don’t think twice about it. They may believe that they are “just doing their jobs,” but they are actually making a difference in their community.”

More Than Navy Recruiters: Forging A Team, Impacting A Community

MADISON, Tenn. (July 19, 2016) Damage Controlman 2nd Class Jamie Parker, left, Operations Specialist 1st Class James Miller, center, and Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Allen Barreto, pose for a photo at NRS Rivergate. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Timothy Walter/Released)

NASHVILLE, TN, TN, UNITED STATES
08.12.2016
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Timothy Walter
Navy Recruiting District Nashville

A firefighter, a bomb builder, and a man who studies dots on a screen walk into an office just outside of Nashville. They sit down each day and work a very different job – putting people in the U.S. Navy. The paperwork and community interactions are a far cry from the high stakes skill craft that they each display on the seas. Still, they deliver despite the change of pace and the change of work. And they don’t stop there.
Whether it’s at a retirement ceremony, or during the national anthem at a hockey game, or even the massive stadium of the Tennessee Titans, these three Sailors from Navy Recruiting Station Rivergate are some of the most visible faces of the Navy in a town known more for country music than its naval connections.
As members of Navy Recruiting District Nashville’s color guard, they regularly spend their off time making an impression on the community. They often receive thanks, which are followed by the common refrain: “What’s the Navy doing in Tennessee?”
The truth is that the Navy, in the case of these Sailors, came out of a Tennessee.
Damage Controlman 2nd Class Jamie Parker grew up in Memphis. Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Allen Barreto hails from the opposite side of the state in Knoxville. And the leader of the group, Operations Specialist 1st Class James Miller was raised in a little suburb just outside of Music City called La Vergne.
But saying that each is from Tennessee and thus the same is like saying that because each is in the Navy that they all rig sails. The state, like the service, is much more complicated. In fact, the flag of Tennessee has three stars to represent what is known as the three grand divisions of east, middle and west Tennessee. Each division’s main city happens to be where these Sailors call home. The different regions represent very disparate areas of culture, demographics and identity. And somehow, through fate or fortune, these three met in the middle just outside Nashville in Madison, Tenn. And sitting in the office which is tucked in a strip mall, they call themselves a team.
“I’ve never been so excited to just come into work each day,” said Miller. “I literally wake up excited and start compiling a list of what we can get accomplished. They are just as excited to try to get done everything I come up with. They put it into action and make it all work.”
As the leading petty officer of Rivergate, Miller is charged with setting the pace and managing the station. He transferred to the office in October 2015 after spending time at another station in the division for several months. It was a move that he was at first unsure about and then grew to love. Things just clicked when he joined up with the Parker and Barreto. The team was recently recognized as the best large station of the quarter within the command. Considering how much they see each other both as recruiters and color guard members, Miller said he is surprised at how well the chemistry continues to work.
“It would be possible to get sick of each other but not here. They always put in the extra effort and make mission first,” he said.
Jokes fly around the office and laughter often punctuates the normal hum of the community printer and clicking of keyboards. It’s an office space without the feel of an office, more like a locker room getting for the game. And when future Sailors walk in, each Sailor has a unique story to tell.
For Parker, that story might be a steam leak. As a Damage Controlman, he is charged with helping to protect a ship from fire and flooding, not to mention chemical, biological and radiological attacks. One time, steam was the enemy he faced. Normally, it powered the catapults that help sling aircraft off the flight deck. On this day, it threatened to rip apart the ship with fire.
“Waking up at 2:00 a.m. in morning to combat that casualty, my heart was pounding. The fire jumped out and surprised us but I was able to find and use a hot water hose in the compartment and put it out. Instead of having all these drills, it was like actually getting in the game.”
The pace of being a firefighter is what Parker said he missed most. Yet he has found other ways to keep the tempo going. When he’s not marching on a field in his dress uniform with the color guard, he is working on his bachelor’s degree in business management or helping to run the audio production for a local artist, not to mention his side job in real estate.
“I am always trying to learn as much as possible,” he said with a smile.
In fact, each member of Rivergate is pursuing a degree and Miller is only one class away from completing his in finance.
The motivation for success is shared equally among them. For Barreto it is a link that reminds him of the flight deck where he would assemble and load bombs for the aircraft.
“It’s a different tempo but the same camaraderie,” Barreto said. “I compare it to being a part of football team. Everyone is working hard out there together. At the end of the day you are tired and sweating but everyone put in good work and got the job done.”
When someone asks Miller about his job, he starts talking about radio frequencies and radar screens and dives into the subject with zeal.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Miller, who was recently recognized as Sailor of the Quarter for NRD Nashville. “Always knowing where you are in the ocean and what is going to happen next is a real advantage to the rate.”
He has carried that zeal from sea to shore and found a new reason to love the Navy in the process.
“I joined the Navy and didn’t know what an operations specialist did. I didn’t care about what job I was going to be doing. Ultimately, I just wanted to be in the Navy so I could have the opportunity to go to college. That was eight years ago and now I want to stay in for the leadership opportunities.”
The Sailors of Rivergate each impact the community as they visit schools and simply show up in their uniform. When they prepare for their color guard presentations the effect goes both ways.
“It gives you a little bit more of that pride you first had in boot camp because you get to go out and represent something more than yourself,” said Barreto.
Miller added that it is a good way to remind himself of the duty he has to show the Navy in the best possible light.
“As soon as you start putting on the color guard accessories, you’re a lot more focused on military bearing and making sure everyone is in step.”
The change reveals itself in moment like a call to attention with a spoken word. The smiles turn serious and their bodies straighten up. Their hands tighten and they stare straight ahead. Suddenly, a few normal Sailors become something else, some more as they begin their march holding the flag of their country. It’s a melding of mind for brief time and out of many different backgrounds, they become one.
“It’s three of us in a city of thousands of people. But when you have a few people on the same page going forward together, you simply don’t need as many people to accomplish a goal,” Parke said.
NRD Nashville is one of 13 districts which make up Navy Recruiting Region East. More than 100,000 square miles are assigned to NRD Nashville including counties in Tennessee, Arkansas, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, northern Mississippi, southern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia.
For more information on NRD Nashville, visit us at http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/nashville/ or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NRD.Nashville

 MADISON, Tenn. (July 19, 2016) Damage Controlman 2nd Class Jamie Parker displays awards, certificates and mementos above his office desk at NRS Rivergate. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Timothy Walter/Released)

Fire truck begins 3,700 mile journey

Loadmasters with the 439th Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, secure a 1982 Mack 1250 GPM pumper fire truck onto a C-5B Galaxy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst N.J., August 12, 2016. The truck will be flown to Managua, Nicaragua. Master Sgt. Jorge A. Narvaez, a traditional New Jersey Air National Guardsman with the 108th Security Forces Squadron, was instrumental in getting the truck donated to a group of volunteer firefighters in Managua. The truck donation is done through the Denton Program, which allows U.S. citizens and organizations to use space available on military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian goods to countries in need. The 439th is located at Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/Released)

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, UNITED STATES
08.12.2016
Story by Master Sgt. Mark Olsen
108th Wing

A New Jersey fire truck began a 3,700 mile journey to its new home in Managua, Nicaragua.
The 1982 Mack 1250 GPM pumper fire truck was loaded onto a 439th Airlift Wing C-5B Galaxy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, August 12, 2016.
It takes a lot of work to send a fire truck to another country.
Specifically, it takes the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve and the active-duty Air Force, as well as a host of government agencies.
More importantly, it takes an individual to recognize a country’s need for that fire truck and pursue it.
Master Sgt. Jorge A. Narvaez, a traditional New Jersey Air National Guardsman with the 108th Security Forces Squadron, was responsible for getting that fire truck sent to Nicaragua.
Narvaez, who is originally from Nicaragua, came to the United States in 1981 and has served with the Princeton Police Department as a patrolman for 22 years. He joined the 108th Wing in October 1992 and in 1999, he transferred to Security Forces, where he serves on the Commander's Support Staff.
“I’ve always felt compelled to help, it fulfills me as a human being, trying to make a difference,” Narvaez said.
In 2014, Narvaez travelled to Nicaragua. While he was there, he visited the headquarters of the Benemerito Cuerpo de Bomberos – a group of volunteer firefighters located in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua.
“I saw that they were in dire need of serviceable fire trucks and equipment,” said Narvaez. “I offered to help and get them assistance in the United States. I explained to them that I couldn’t make any promises, but that I would try to do my best.”
Narvaez talked to Ray Wadsworth, the former Fire Chief of Mercer Engine No. 3 in Princeton, N.J., and was able to get some coats, boots and hoses that had been slated for replacement. Like their counterparts in Nicaragua, the Princeton firefighters are also volunteers.
The Nicaraguan firefighters were grateful for the donated gear, but their need for a new truck remained.
In 2015, an opportunity presented itself.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration informed mercer Engine No. 3 that they would have to replace two of their fire trucks. One of them, a 1982 Mack 1250 GPM pumper truck, could no longer be used because the open cab was considered a safety hazard.
“Mr. Wadsworth felt that one of the trucks could be donated,” Narvaez said. “We began to work together and doing all that was required to get the truck from the city.”
To get the ball rolling, Narvaez sent a letter to Robert Gregory, Princeton’s director of emergency services, explaining how the retired truck could be put to good use in Latin America. Princeton responded by putting the truck up for a symbolic auction.
“They sold it to me for a dollar,” Wadsworth said.
In addition to the truck, 13 sets of boots, six jackets, and 1,200 feet of two and a half inch hose were included.
“The truck is fully equipped, all it needs is for the tank to be filled with water,” Wadsworth said.
“I also took a video of the truck, how to start it up; giving directions on how to operate it,” Narvaez said.
Now you can’t just donate a fire truck to another country, there’s a process for it and it involves the Denton Program.
The Denton Program, which is jointly administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, allows U.S. citizens and organizations to use space available on military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian goods to countries in need. U.S. Sen. Jeremiah Denton created the program as an amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The amendment states "the Secretary of Defense may transport to any country, without charge, supplies which have been furnished by a non-governmental source and which are intended for humanitarian assistance. Such supplies may be transported only on a space available basis." Since 1998, more than 5.6 million pounds of humanitarian supplies have been sent to more than 50 countries.
What followed was a flurry of activity as Narvaez made contact with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Managua and Air Force officials who would arrange for the truck’s 3,700-mile journey. The sign things were moving along came when he was put in touch with Chief Master Sgt. Juan Claudio of the 514th Air Mobility Wing, Air Force Reserve, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., who went to Princeton to get the truck’s measurements and provide guidance on getting it ready for flight.
The only thing left was the letter of approval – the airlift certification letter.
It came on June 3.
The letter assigned the 439th Airlift Wing – an Air Force Reserve unit based at Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., with airlifting the fire truck on one of their C-5 Galaxy aircraft.
On August 12, all the work by Narvaez and Claudio – the 108th Wing, the 514th Air Mobility Wing and the 439th Airlift Wing, along with USAID, the Department of State, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency came together.
For Narvaez, there is one final take away from this.
“I want Airmen to see this and know that they can do this as well,” Narvaez said. “There are many countries in the world that can use our help and there are always things you can do to help people.”

Loadmasters with the 439th Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, load a 1982 Mack 1250 GPM pumper fire truck onto a C-5B Galaxy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst N.J., August 12, 2016. The truck will be flown to Managua, Nicaragua. Master Sgt. Jorge A. Narvaez, a traditional New Jersey Air National Guardsman with the 108th Security Forces Squadron, was instrumental in getting the truck donated to a group of volunteer firefighters in Managua. The truck donation is done through the Denton Program, which allows U.S. citizens and organizations to use space available on military cargo aircraft to transport humanitarian goods to countries in need. The 439th is located at Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen/Released)