USS Essex 2018 Deployment

ARABIAN SEA
12.17.2018
Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jenna Dobson
USS Essex-LHD 2 
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181217-N-RP442-1049

ARABIAN SEA (Dec. 17, 2018) Sailors stand fire watch in a P-25 fire truck on the flight deck of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) while on a deployment of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The Essex ARG/13th MEU is a flexible and persistent Navy-Marine Corps team deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jenna Dobson)

Firefighter Rookie Academy Course on Camp Zama.

ZAMA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN
12.17.2018
Video by Daisuke Sato
US Army Garrison - Japan 


Rookie Fire Academy on Camp Zama:

Narration:
Eight rookie firefighters from Fire and Emergency Services at Camp Zama and Kure received their Firefighter badges after graduating from the long and arduous Firefighter Rookie Academy Course on Camp Zama.

Remarks: LTC Barry Winnegan, Commander, Directorate Emergency Services

Interview: Koki Saito, Rookie Firefighter, FES, U.S. Army Garrison Japan
I personally think the two-month training was rewarding and fulfilling. There was a time where I felt it was really hard, but with the support from my seven other peers, trainers and senior firefighters, I was able to overcome those challenges.

Interview: Ryo Natsume, Rookie Firefighter, FES, U.S. Army Garrison Japan
It was harder than I expected because there are numerous causes of fires and we have to deal with each cause in the proper way, which requires knowledge and skills in order to respond rapidly and flexibly.

Narration:
During the eight-week course, the rookie firefighters were trained on numerous skills, from handling fire equipment and participating in live-fire exercises to medical rescue and emergency vehicle operations.

Interview: Nobuki Azuma, Training Officer, Fire & Emergency Services
The Firefighter Rookie Academy is a requirement that every firefighter working on a U.S. installation must complete in order to be a qualified firefighter. It is regulated by the National Fire Protection Association. The rookies must pass all required qualifications within the eight-week program. It consisted of academic and practical classes and a total of 21 different training blocks.

Narration:
This year’s academy was a unique experience for Masahiro Watanabe, who stepped into the role of training captain for the first time.

Interview: Masahiro Watanabe, Training Captain, Fire & Emergency Services
The most challenging part of training rookies is teaching them how to mentally and physically overcome challenges not individually but as a team. Leading them all in the same direction was a unique challenge.

Interview: Koki Saito, Rookie Firefighter, FES, U.S. Army Garrison Japan
Before I began the academy, I didn’t know what I should do in certain scenarios in the field, but after finishing I’m now able to envision each situation and react accordingly by thinking ahead.


Interview: Ryo Natsume, Rookie Firefighter, FES, U.S. Army Garrison Japan
As a firefighter, I’m not at the level I want to be at right now, but after completing this academy I feel like I’m slowly but definitely getting closer to being the kind of firefighter I really want to be.

Narration:
These eight rookie firefighters will return to their stations with critical skills and a newfound sense of pride and camaraderie and will be committed to continuing serving the safety of their communities.

'Fini Flight' spray salute

SAVANNAH, GA, UNITED STATES
12.17.2018
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Amber Williams
165th Airlift Wing
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U.S. Air Force fire trucks ceremoniously spray a C-130H3 Hercules after landing at the 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah, Georgia, Dec. 17, 2018 during Maj. Gen. Jesse Simmons' final flight. Simmons and members of the Georgia Air National Guard were returning home after supporting the 50th Anniversary of the Argentine Air Force. The Georgia National Guard established a state partnership with Argentina in 2016. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Amber Williams)

Fire Research and Training Facility Provides Realistic Firefighter Training

PANAMA CITY, FL, UNITED STATES
12.17.2018
Video by John Goddin
Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs 

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Fire Research and Training Facility at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, provides realistic firefighter training. Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center public affairs shows the state-of-the-art facility also allows for researching and studying more environmentally firefighting agents.

West Virginia National Guard aids state in mine rescue operations

Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment, West Virginia National Guard, assist in convoy operations of mine rescue teams with the West Virginia Miners' Health, Safety, and Training agency at the Rock House Powellton coal mine in Whitesville, W.Va., Dec. 12, 2018. The WVNG assisted rescue operations for three missing people. A fourth person left the mine earlier. (Photo Credit: Edwin Wriston)

CHARLESTON, WV, UNITED STATES
12.14.2018
Story by Sgt. Zoe Morris
West Virginia National Guard 
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When the West Virginia Watch Center, operated by the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) received a call on Dec. 9, 2018, that four individuals were determined missing after entering the decommissioned Elk Run Coal Company’s Rock House Powellton Mine near Clear Creek in Raleigh County, West Virginia, the state sprang into action.

The terrain near the entrances to the mine was rough and muddy after an exceptionally large amount of snowfall had fallen in the area days before. A determination was made that West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) assets – specifically Humvee vehicles - were the safest way to transport rescue crews on and off the mine site.

The deterioration of the unused mine roads warranted all safety precautions to be taken to ensure the safety of the rescuers.

The West Virginia National Guard and WVDHSEM’s integration in the State Emergency Operations Center allowed for the quick deployment of the necessary resources for the mine rescue workers.

On December 10, a team of eight Soldiers and three Humvees from the 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment out of Beckley, were assigned to assist the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training (MHS&T) in the search efforts, providing transportation to the rescue site.

After more than 24 hours of work to clear water and provide ventilation into the mine site, 10 additional Soldiers from the 863rd Military Police Company were assigned to augment the efforts on December 12, providing additional security augmentation to the West Virginia State Police at the opposite mine entrance and liaison duties between the SEOC and the incident location. With the addition of the Soldiers from the 863rd MP Co., the total number of support personnel from the WVNG reached 18 total.

After the rescue efforts proved successful later in the evening of Dec. 12, 2018, and the three individuals were rescued and transported to receive medical attention, the WVNG assets demobilized.

“The National Guard in West Virginia stands ready at all hours to aid our neighbours, no matter the situation,” Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, said. “The SEOC headquartered at the WVNG Joint Force Headquarters here in Charleston has shown that by co-locating, we are able to respond quickly and efficiently in case of an emergency. I am proud of all the Guard members who stepped up to assist our neighbours and partners."