Fleet Week New York

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES
05.20.2019
Photo by Seaman Marlan Sawyer
Navy Public Affairs Support Element East - (Active) 

NEW YORK (May 21, 2019) Marines from Marine Air Control Squadron 2 communicate with a MH-60S helicopter during an aviation demonstration at Miller Field in Staten Island. Fleet Week New York, now in its 31st year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marlan Sawyer/Released)

Civilians observe and enter a New York Fire Department fire truck during an aviation demonstration at Miller Field in Staten Island. Fleet Week New York, now in its 31st year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marlan Sawyer/Released)

Civilians try on firefighting equipment with firefighters from New York Fire Department during an aviation demonstration at Miller Field in Staten Island. Fleet Week New York, now in its 31st year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marlan Sawyer/Released)

NSA Naples Conducts Aircraft Emergency Rescue Training With Italian Firefighters

NAPLES, ITALY
05.16.2019
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Donavan K Patubo
U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples 

190516-N-BM428-0020 NAPLES, Italy (May 16, 2019) Naples International Airport firefighters receive aircraft emergency rescue training from U.S. Sailors assigned to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples, May 16, 2019, in the base hangar bay. NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damon Grosvenor/Released)

Vincenzo Bollolino, fourth from left, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples’ assistant fire chief, and U.S. Navy Lt. Diego Mcknight, fifth from left, a naval aviator assigned to NSA Naples, pose for a photo with Naples International Airport firefighters, May 16, 2019. NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damon Grosvenor/Released)

NBG Fire and Emergency Services Academy graduation at NBG Fire Station 3 in Asan

ASAN, GUAM
05.17.2019
Photo by Alana Chargualaf
Joint Region Marianas 

ASAN, Guam (May 17, 2019) - U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Grimes, far left, poses for a photo with NBG Fire and Emergency Services graduates and chiefs during a NBG Fire and Emergency Services Academy graduation at NBG Fire Station 3 in Asan May 17. During the ceremony, seven firefighter recruits officially earned their rank as firefighters. (U.S. Navy photo by Alana Chargualaf)

ervice members, civilians, and families attend a U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) Fire and Emergency Services Academy graduation at NBG Fire Station 3 in Asan May 17. During the ceremony, seven firefighter recruits officially earned their rank as firefighters. (U.S. Navy photo by Alana Chargualaf)

U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) Fire and Emergency Services recruits recite the Firefighter’s Creed during a NBG Fire and Emergency Services Academy graduation at NBG Fire Station 3 in Asan May 17. During the ceremony, seven firefighter recruits officially earned their rank as firefighters. (U.S. Navy photo by Alana Chargualaf)

U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) Fire Chief Gifton Lawrence, Jr. delivers the keynote speech during the NBG Fire and Emergency Services Academy graduation at NBG Fire Station 3 in Asan May 17. During the ceremony, seven firefighter recruits officially earned their rank as firefighters. (U.S. Navy photo by Alana Chargualaf)

Kentucky Guardsmen with 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation rescued a hiker suffering a medical emergency at Natural Bridge State Park near Slade, Kentucky May 18. Guardsmen arrived with a UH-60 Blackhawk and hoisted the hiker to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Lowe with Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation and members of the Wolfe County Search and Rescue transport a patient to UH-60 Blackhawk for a medical evacuation in Slade, Ky., May 18, 2019. The Guardsmen responded to a request for assistance from Wolfe County Emergency Management to conduct a hoist rescue from a cliff at Natural Bridge State Park. (Photo courtesy of Wolfe County Search and Rescue)

SLADE, KY, UNITED STATES
05.19.2019
Story by Spc. Alan Royalty
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment 

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentucky Guardsmen with 2nd Battalion, 238th Aviation rescued a hiker suffering a medical emergency at Natural Bridge State Park near Slade, Kentucky May 18. Guardsmen arrived with a UH-60 Blackhawk and hoisted the hiker to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Kentucky Soldiers worked alongside Wolfe County Search and Rescue (WCSR), Powell County Search and Rescue (PCSR), and Red River Gorge Special Treatment, Access and Rescue (Red STAR) to rescue the hiker. This mission culminated over a year’s worth of training between the Kentucky Guard and WCSR centered on wilderness search and rescue.
“We worked with Wolfe County last year doing all kinds of search and rescue scenarios and extractions for this very mission,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Lowe, a flight medic with the 2/238th. “We worked a lot in rural areas in Wolfe County’s terrain doing confined space hoists.”
The Blackhawk, configured for medical evacuation and internal patient care, was the first Blackhawk in Kentucky’s history to perform a hoist rescue mission. The flight crew used a high-performance rescue hoist and a SKED extraction device to lower Lowe to the cliff more than 100 feet below, and lift the patient into the helicopter for emergency medical treatment.
Powell County paramedic, David Fifer, was also rigged to accompany the patient on her flight to the University of Kentucky’s hospital, more than 60 miles away.
For more than five years, the 2/238th has assisted and trained alongside local first responders throughout Kentucky for emergency missions requiring critical care in the air.
“We are projecting our capabilities back toward the state by taking our specialized resources and making them available to the citizens of the commonwealth,” Lowe said.
According to WCSR, the years it took to develop the search and rescue program just paid off. The all-volunteer search and rescue team gratefully acknowledged the impact that training with the Kentucky Guard had on the mission and emphasized how prepared they were for this kind of emergency.
For Lowe, this was an opportunity to conduct an emergency mission he and his team train for every day. Since there are only three helicopters in the state of Kentucky that have the hoist capabilities used during this rescue mission, Lowe and his team are always ready to respond when duty calls.
“This is what medical evacuation does—whether it’s wartime, peacetime, anytime, what we do is patient care,” Lowe said. “Minimizing suffering is what we are built to do.”
The patient was listed stable for transport but in need of urgent medical care. The flight crew immediately turned the patient over to Lexington Emergency Medical Services at Bluegrass Airport.

Airmen from RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath participated in a fuel spill exercise at RAF Mildenhall, England

Wing inspection team members and exercise participants from the 100th Air Refueling Wing look over a base map during a fuel spill exercise at RAF Mildenhall, England, May 15, 2019. Exercise participants were evaluated based on their performance during the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron)

RAF MILDENHALL, SFK, UNITED KINGDOM
05.15.2019
Story by Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs 

Airmen from RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath participated in a fuel spill exercise at RAF Mildenhall, England, May 15, 2019.

The exercise, conducted annually in accordance with Defense Logistics Agency regulations, replicated a fuel spill and tested Airmen’s reaction to an event that could halt the base’s aerial refueling mission.

“The exercise was meant to simulate a large jet-fuel spill of 65,000 gallons,” said Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Peabody, 100th Air Refueling Wing Inspector General’s office.

The fuel spill exercise was organized by the wing’s inspection and exercise planning team and involved the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron, 100th Security Forces Squadron, 100th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 100th Air Refueling Wing Command Post, 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, and personnel from the 352nd Special Operations Wing.

“The inspector general inspections team coordinated the examination,” Peabody said. “We were testing our response and recovery capabilities. The fire department came and assessed how bad the spill was. Security forces cordoned off the area to make sure it was safe, and bio-environmental came out to determine how bad the fumes were.”

Airmen who participated in the exercise believe training like this is important for being prepared to respond as a base.

“It’s important because it tests our capability to be able to work with agencies other than ourselves,” said Tech. Sgt. Thomas Straub, 100th LRS NCO-in-charge of fuels facilities. “It’s always going to come down to communication and working together to minimize the impact of a disaster of this magnitude.”

Firefighters discuss the appropriate response to a simulated fuel spill at RAF Mildenhall, England, May 15, 2019. The exercise tested the base's response to 65,000 gallons of spilled fuel. The fuel spill exercise was conducted to test the base’s response and recovery capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron)

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jeremiah Gates, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of training, sprays water across the pavement at RAF Mildenhall, England, May 15, 2019. The fire department provided water to simulate spilled fuel for the exercise. The fuel spill exercise was conducted to test the base’s response and recovery capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Barron)