Pioneer Fire Chief Recites Tales of the 171st legacy

Photo By Staff Sgt. Bryan Hoover | Master Sgt. Gary Shannon assigned to the 171st Air Refueling Wing near Pittsburgh and Retired Chief Master Sgt. Edward “Buck” Boyd poses for a photo in front of a fire department vehicle, Jan. 15, 2019. Master Sgt. Shannon is the current fire chief of the installation while Chief Master Sgt. Boyd is the first ever fire chief of the installation. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Hoover) 

CORAOPOLIS, PA, UNITED STATES

01.17.2019

Story by Staff Sgt. Bryan Hoover 

171st Air Refueling Wing  

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In 1947, the current 171st Air Refueling Wing was formed in Pittsburgh. As the base grew from farmlands, fire protection operated like many of the local municipalities in Pittsburgh, with a volunteer fire service. Edward J. “Buck” Boyd volunteered with the fire department after his enlistment in the Air National Guard in 1950. He worked in almost every section on base basically serving as a “jack-of-all-trades”. He worked in fabrication, refuelling, and even civil engineering shops until 1962. It was then that the installation recognized the fire department as an official career field. Buck stepped out of his role working multiple jobs and into his role as the wing’s first ever Fire Chief. From that point forward, he carried the torch until his retirement in 1986. 

Since his retirement, Buck has visited the fire department on several occasions. Like every other time, when he stops by, he always has a story to tell. Recently, Buck stopped by the fire department and sat down with the current fire chief, Master Sgt. Gary Shannon, Civil Engineer Commander, and Fire Marshall Maj. Jeremy Ketter and Engineer Capt. Matthew Saccone. Buck spent the better half of his afternoon telling all kinds of stories from the fires he’s battled, to aircraft rescues, recoveries, and he even told the tale of how he laid the bricks of the fire department which still stands today. 

While Buck was knee deep in explaining one of his memories, a Tech. Sgt. interrupted him to point out the differences between Buck’s firefighting experiences versus the current firefighters' certifications. Not to be discredited for his hard work, Buck responded quickly with something that would make all retired firefighters smile, “I’ve seen more fire than you will probably ever see.” Buck wasn’t insulting the young man, he was merely pointing out that he served during a time when an organized regulation of fire codes did not exist. Since the passing of the torch, the fire protection career field has focused the majority of its efforts into education and training of fire prevention. A luxury many of the Air Forces pioneer firefighters did without.

Chief Master Sgt. Edward J. “Buck” Boyd doesn’t visit the 171st fire station as often as he would like. For an 89-year old man, he keeps himself very busy. So when he takes a break and stops by the 171st to share a piece of his past, you better believe that the future of our wing takes the opportunity to sit and listen. Chief Boyd is a walking historian for the Pittsburgh Air National Guard base. His contributions to the base can never be measured. Not only did he establish the fire department and its rich history, he literally built it from the ground up.

DJIBOUTI

DJIBOUTI

01.08.2019

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Shawn Nickel 

Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa  

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U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Andrew Howard, a fire protection specialist assigned to the 870th Air Expeditionary Squadron supporting Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, poses for a photo at a forward operating location in East Africa Jan. 8, 2019. Fire protection specialists deal with everything from brush fires to burning rocket fuel and hazardous material fires. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Shawn Nickel)

Camp Pendleton Fire Department perform controlled burn

CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

01.17.2019

Photo by Lance Cpl. Drake Nickels 

Marine Corps Installations West - Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton  

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Fire Capt. James Walker with station 4, Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton Fire Department, supervises the teardown of a building fire simulation during a training exercise at MCB Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 17, 2019. The training was being conducted to increase the department’s proficiency when combating structural fires. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Drake Nickels)

Two found dead in burning vehicle on McConnell AFB

Two dead in burning vehicle at McConnell AFB in Kansas

A fatal a vehicle accident at McConnell AFB
By Staff Report, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs / Published December 31, 2018

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KAN. --
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.— A fatal vehicle accident occurred at the closed 31st Street Secondary Access point Sunday evening at approximately 11:06 p.m. CST.

The 22nd Security Forces Squadron and McConnell’s Fire Department responded to the vehicle fire where two individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.

Team McConnell is working with local authorities at the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and the Wichita Police Department, and an investigation is currently ongoing.


For media queries, please contact the 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office at 316-759-3141 or via email at 22.pa@us.af.mil.

Army Reserve Soldier supports Emergency Operations after Super Typhoon Yutu

Super Typhoon Yutu left the country of Saipan with tore off roofs, collapsed houses and tore down power lines (Courtesy photo of Maj. Michael Madsen, 87th Legal Operations Detachment, U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command).

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
12.15.2018
Story by Capt. Jeku Arce
U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command 

GAITHERSBURG, Maryland – Shortly after Super Typhoon Yutu struck the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Maj. Michael Madsen was called upon to provide legal advice to the federally-coordinated relief effort.

On Oct. 24, the Category 5 hurricane-equivalent storm made landfall on the U.S. territory in the Pacific, leaving death and destruction in its path. Its 180-mph winds tore off roofs, collapsed houses and tore down power lines. When Yutu passed over the islands of Saipan and Tinian, it knocked out power to more than 50,000 residents. It’s one of the strongest storms on record to ever hit the islands.

Initially, National Guard troops from nearby Guam assisted with relief efforts, bringing in food, water, tarps and other supplies, according to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, who led the mission.

Disasters like this happen fast, said Madsen, a judge advocate with the U.S. Army Reserve Legal Command’s 87th Legal Operations Detachment, who mobilized in late-October with the Hawaii-based 303rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

“People are suffering. These are usually very high-visibility events that are heavily scrutinized, so decisions need to be made quickly,” said Madsen, a native of Parker, Colorado. “It is essential for the legal advisor to help find an alternate solution when the answer is otherwise ‘no’ and to do so quickly.”

On Oct. 26, President Donald Trump declared a major disaster, allowing federal aid to assist the region and bringing federal agency and military personnel support for assessment, response and recovery efforts. The 303rd is part of the 9th Mission Command of Honolulu. The received a request to support from the FEMA Region VIII Defense Coordinating Officer and Defense Coordinating Element in Saipan.

Madsen is no stranger to offering his legal expertise to federal relief efforts. In 2017, he helped provide legal assistance during post-Hurricane Maria operations in Puerto Rico. In 2018, he supported post-Hurricane Florence efforts in South Carolina.

Despite the different locations, his role remains the same: support FEMA.

“The legal advisor needs to help [military] leaders fight the instinct to take [the lead] and to remain within our legal boundaries,” said Madsen. “Helping people to remember command relationships and left and right limits is critical, especially with the unique command structure in a DSCA environment, the presence of Title 10 and National Guard personnel and multiple federal agencies.

Madsen, a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, provided legal assistance to federal authorities, but also took time in Saipan to support U.S. Soldiers mobilized from Guam and Hawaii.

“DSCA missions come up very quickly and Soldiers don't necessarily have time to get all of their affairs in order before they leave,” said Madsen.

Maj. Tanga “TJ” Bernal from the 9th MSC and Capt. Robert Ayres of the 303rd MEB, both U.S. Army Reserve judge advocates, also deployed to Saipan to assist, Madsen said.

The 87th LOD is a subordinate unit of USAR-LC. USAR-LC, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, exercises mission command and control of trained and ready legal forces across 104 cities in 43 states in the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, and Europe. USAR-LC is a one-star command of over 1,700 Soldiers that controls the operations of 28 Legal Operations Detachments providing multi-functional legal support to commanders, Soldiers, and family members in support of military operations.