Firefighting on the USS Frank Cable

10.01.2016
Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Allen McNair
Navy Media Content Services

SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 1, 2016) - USS Frank Cable (AS 40) Sailors practice firefighting during an all-hands fire drill, Oct. 1. Frank Cable is one of two forward-deployed submarine tenders and is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to conduct maintenance and support of deployed U.S. naval force submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
(U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Allen Michael McNair)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jesse Aguilar, a native of Corona, Calif., assigned to the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), enters the scene of a simulated, class alpha fire, during an all-hands drill, Sept. 30. Frank Cable is one of two forward-deployed submarine tenders and is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to conduct maintenance and support of deployed U.S. naval force submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
(U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Alana Langdon)

Full Video Trojan T-28 Wheels Up Landing

Aircraft wheels failed to dislodge on test flight so pilot had to circle around for two hours before attempting dangerous manoeuvre

A skilled pilot was forced to make an emergency - and very bumpy - landing in a warplane after its landing gear failed.

The single-engine aircraft touched down at Ardmore Airport in South Auckland after a test flight.

Warbirds Association Chief Flying Instructor Dave Brown was flying the North American T28 Trojan at the time of the incident this morning.

JARRED WILLIAMSON/FAIRFAX NZ

It has been reported that the landing gear failed to dislodge, forcing the pilot to scrape the plane across the runway to bring it to a halt.

Two fire engines were called to the scene and the airport was closed.

In a statement to New Zealand's One News, Warren Denholm of Avspecs Limited - which is based at Ardmore and restores vintage aircraft - said: "The aircraft was undergoing proving flying following assembly after importation from the USA when the wheels failed to extend for landing.

"Every attempt was made by Dave to dislodge them so they would come down (they raise and lower with hydraulics) but sadly they remained firmly up, so in the end he had to land the plane on its belly.

The Fire Service said the aircraft was carrying two hours' worth of fuel and was forced to circle the airport several times before attempting to land.

According to the St John Ambulance service, the pilot was the only person on board the plane, and escaped the incident uninjured.

144FW Receives EMT Training

(L to R) U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Mark Crespo and Staff Sgts. Dean Merrill and Travis Bontrager, all with the 144th Civil Engineer Squadron, treat simulated victim, Staff Sgt. Micaela Aguiar, 144th Medical Detachment 1, during a mass casualty exercise at the Fresno Air National Guard Base Sept. 16. The exercise was part of the emergency medical technician certification training the fire department was participating in. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Chris Drudge)

FRESNO, CA, UNITED STATES
09.16.2016
Story by Senior Master Sgt. Chris Drudge
144th Fighter Wing

Jason Funaro, Unitek lead instructor, Chris Bartolotti and Anthony Hendricks, both Unitek instructors, put these trainees through more than 120 hours of classroom instruction, mass casualty exercises and actual ride-a-longs with several local ambulance companies. In total, the fire fighters endured 240 hours of training. After their clinical portion of the training is complete all students will then take the certification test, which upon passing, will certify them as EMTs.
“The classroom portion is very difficult, but we work with everyone to ensure the material taught is understood by the students,” Funaro stated. “The mass casualty exercise is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we can see that the training pays off.”
The training will bring the 144th Fighter Wing first responders to the level that all EMTs are required to attain. After certification, the Airmen will be able to work alongside of the Homeland Response Force teams which enhance their overall Defense Support to Civil Authorities mission.
“In case of a major disaster and we have to respond, the EMT training gives the fire fighters that skill set that can save lives,” said Senior Master Sgt. Joe Gallegos, 144th FW Fire Chief.
The mass casualty exercise portion of the training took place Friday, Sept. 16 at the Fresno Air National Guard Base where a simulated improvised explosive device was triggered on the west end of the installation.
After the proper protocol was followed by base personnel, the fire department was dispatched to the scene. The simulated victims’ injuries ranged from burns and cuts to broken bones and missing limbs. The first responders were greeted with panicked screams and painful moaning.
Their first job is to assess the situation and make sure there is no viable threat to them or the victims. Once the scene is secured, triage starts. Triage is the classification of all the injured to ensure the most critically wounded individuals get medical attention first.
The EMT trainees handled the incident skillfully and applied the lifesaving techniques they had learned to assist the victims of the blast.
“This is what we train for,” said Gallegos. “We take these exercises very seriously. They help us prepare for the time when real world incidents happen.”

U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Caryn Lynn, 144th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department, tries to calm simulated victim, Lt. Col. Roxellen Auletto, 144th Medical Group, during a mass casualty exercise at the 144th Fighter Wing Sept. 16. The exercise was part of the emergency medical technician certification training the fire department was participating in. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Chris Drudge)

Arizona Airmen help save woman, receive Commendation Medal

Col. Randall Inman, 161 MXG commander, presents 161st Maintenance Squadron, Staff Sgt. Matthew St. Onge, crew chief and Staff Sgt. Ancel Miller, electrical environmental specialist, with a certificate to accompany their Air Force Commendation Medals Oct., 2016, 161st Air Refueling Wing, Phoenix. The Airmen were awarded the medal for rescuing a woman after a head-on car accident. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Tech. Sgt. Michael Matkin)

PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES
10.02.2016
Story by Tech. Sgt. Michael Matkin
161st Air Refueling Wing

Members of the 161st Maintenance Squadron, Staff Sgt. Matthew St. Onge, crew chief, and Staff Sgt. Ancel Miller, electrical environmental specialist, rendered life-saving care to a victim of a head-on car accident.

The fellow Copperheads were returning to base when they witnessed the accident. They instantly raced to the scene, walked around the car - looking for flames - and assessed the situation. Miller instructed a bystander to call 911.

“My first thought was ‘Oh, we got to go help her’,” said St. Onge. “We could see that the victim was hurt and we had to move her. We know you aren’t supposed to move a victim, but we assessed that we needed to move her to allow her to breathe.”

“It was a scary moment,” said Miller. “We could see this foam of blood and drool coming out of her mouth and she was jerking and leaning over - having a seizure. I was hesitant at first to move her. I was honestly scared. ‘Do we move her or not?’, but we had to move her to render aid.”

They said this is where their self-aid buddy care really kicked into gear. Air Force members are required to be qualified in Self-Aid Buddy Care, which incorporates methods for checking and caring for numerous injuries.

“We did the standard ‘one, two, three, lift’ and moved her to the side of the road,” said St. Onge. “We then put her on her side in the recovery position and used the ‘head tilt, chin lift’ to position her airway open. I held her head in position until emergency aid could arrive - it took about seven minutes for the ambulance to arrive. She was still having a hard time breathing, and I was so worried she was going to stop. I was living breath by breath with this woman.”

St. Onge and Miller said their training in self-aid buddy care was integral in being able to help the woman and knowing – instinctively - what to do.

“The next time I’m going through training, I will definitely bring up this situation,” said St. Onge. “This could have been a family member, a loved one or a friend. It’s important information. It’s not just a box to check off. It’s not something you should skip out on. It’s something you should invest your time and energy into.”

At the presentation of the awards, Col. Randall Inman, 161st Maintenance Group commander, said “A lot of people would have said ‘it’s not my problem’, but our military training give us the confidence to do something rather than do nothing and walk away. In the Guard, we care about everybody, we have the proper training and the proper tools to render aid. We don’t run from the gunfire we run to it, we don’t run from the burning building, we run to it; and that’s what this exemplifies. It’s a great thing and I couldn’t be prouder of these two Airmen.”

Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 Aircraft Salvage

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Adrian Rosas, left, and Cpl. Thomas Ream, aircraft and rescue and firefighter specialists extinguish a fire on a simulated downed aircraft in support of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 1-17 at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., Sept 28, 2016. This exercise was part of WTI 1-17, a seven week training event, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre, which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of a Marine Air Ground Task Force. MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Javon J. Thompson MAWTS-1 Combat Camera)

YUMA PROVING GROUNDS, AZ, UNITED STATES

09.28.2016

Photo by Lance Cpl. Javon Thompson 

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma Combat Camera 

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Adrian Rosas, left, and Cpl. Thomas Ream, aircraft rescue and firefighter specialists with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 retrieve a fire hose during an aircraft salvage practical application exercise in support of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 1-17 at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., Sept 28, 2016. This exercise was part of WTI 1-17, a seven week training event, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre, which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force. MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Javon J. Thompson MAWTS-1 Combat Camera)

U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 load a simulated downed aircraft onto a flatbed during an aircraft salvage practical application exercise in support of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 1-17 at Yuma Proving Grounds, Ariz., Sept 28, 2016. This exercise was part of WTI 1-17, a seven-week training event, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre, which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine Corps aviation in support of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force. MAWTS-1 provides standardized advanced tactical training and certification of unit instructor qualifications to support Marine Aviation Training and Readiness and assists in developing and employing aviation weapons and tactics. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Javon J. Thompson MAWTS-1 Combat Camera)