Polk Soldier/firefighters redeploy after nine months in Romania

Photo By Chuck Cannon | Staff Sgt. Jordan Gomez, 524th Eng Det, 46th Eng Bn, gets reacquainted with his son, Julian, 2, after returning from a nine-month deployment to Romania Sept. 9.

FORT POLK, LA, UNITED STATES
09.13.2019
Story by Chuck Cannon
Fort Polk Public Affairs Office 

FORT POLK, La. — Seven Soldiers with the 524th Engineer Detachment (Firefighter), 46th Engineer Battalion, returned home to a heroes’ welcome Sept. 9 following a nine-month deployment to Romania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, commander, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, was the keynote speaker during a redeployment ceremony held at 7 p.m. in South Fort Polk Fire Station.
“There are a lot of Family members here who want to get these Soldiers back home and into their arms,” Frank said.
“They are probably the most excited of all of us here. And there are a bunch of fireman in the back who are excited to have their teammates back.”
Frank said the returning Soldiers showed the Romanian and Bulgarian armies what the world’s best Soldiers look like, act like, how they perform on the battlefield, how they perform in training, and what they can do for the community.
Frank handed out four-day passes to the returning Soldiers.
“I gave them coins when they left, now I’ve given them a four-day pass,” he said. “That goes on top of their block leave.”
“It’s great to have you back home, team,” Frank said. “Group, attention. Fall out to your Families, fellow friends and Soldiers.”
Lt. Col. Ian R. Davis, commander, 46th Engineer Battalion, opened the event by welcoming the Soldiers home. He went through a list of the accomplishments by the unit during the deployment.
“Let’s give our Soldiers a hand for their hard work,” Davis said. “The Soldiers participated in community activities and sporting events with their fellow Romanian and Bulgarian firefighters.”
The unit’s mission was to provide structural and aircraft rescue firefighting capabilities for Romanian and Bulgarian military firefighters. During the deployment, the detachment’s Soldiers responded to more than 20 emergencies that included with vehicle accidents, fire alarms and medical aid.
The unit also worked with Bulgarian Directorate of Emergency Services of Novo Selo Training Area (NSTA) leadership to rewrite and renew the Mutual Aid Agreement between NSTA and the regional State of Silven.
Following the ceremony, Sgt. Lucy A. Avila ran to the waiting arms of her 2-year-old son.
“I missed him the most, more than anything,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I missed him so much.
“I’m gonna give this little man all of my attention.”
Staff Sgt. Jordan D. Gomez was all smiles as he reunited with his spouse and three children.
“I’m so glad to be back home,” he said. “This deployment was hard because I missed so much with my kids.
“I’m excited to watch my son Anthony (12) play football.”
The returning Soldiers/firefighters included: Gomez, Avila, Spc. Orlando Y. Acevedovillaneuva, Spc. Rene Gonzalez II, Spc. Chad C. Morgan-Brown, Spc. Andres Paz and Pvt. Josue V. Rivera.


Sgt. Lucy A. Avila (right), 524th Engineer Detachment, 46th Engineer Battalion, is all smiles as she sees her son Troy, 2, for the first time in nine months during a redeployment ceremony at the South Fort Polk Fire Station Sept. 9 after she and six additional 524th Engineer Detachment Soldiers returned from a deployment to Romania.


From left: Pvt. Jose Rivera, Spc. Andres Paz, Spc. Chad Morgan-Brown, Staff Sgt. Jordan Gomez, Spc. Orlando Acevedovillaneuva, Spc. Rene Gonzalez II and Sgt. Lucy Avila, members of Fort Polk’s 524th Engineer Detachment, 46th Engineer Battalion, returned Sept. 9 from a nine-month deployment to Romania.

Goodfellow AFB Fire Department hosts annual Junior Firefighter Camp

Junior firefighters and 17th Civil Engineering Squadron firefighters stand for a photos at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 19, 2019. A graduation ceremony concluded the annual junior firefighter camp with a presentation of training certificates, a slideshow covering their week and refreshments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)

GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, UNITED STATES
07.15.2019
Story by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger
17th Training Wing Public Affairs 

The Goodfellow Fire Department hosted their annual Junior Firefighter Camp at the fire station here July 15 through July 19.
“We’ve been doing this for 14 years,” said 17th Civil Engineering Squadron Chief Richard Alter. “It started as a small seed. There are so many negative things in the world so we wanted to find a way to make a positive difference in their lives. We wanted to give them the chance to see what it would be like to be a firefighter for a week.”
The camp gives children from the community the opportunity to learn about fire safety, fire prevention, and the roles and responsibilities of firefighters.
Colonel Andres Nazario, 17th Training Wing commander, expressed his hope that this experience will lead the junior firefighters to pursue a career as firefighting professionals.
The junior firefighters learn everything from first aid and search and rescue to fire extinguisher training and how firefighters get into their protective gear. They also get the chance to operate a fire hose and learn about rescue tools in a fun, safe environment. At the end of the week, the junior firefighters receive a tour of the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy here before participating in a graduation ceremony.


17th Civil Engineering Squadron Fire Inspector, Billy Clemons, directs a junior firefighter as he extinguishes a live fire at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 16, 2019. The firefighters demonstrated to the children the proper way to use a fire extinguisher. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)


17th Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighters, Lieutenant Roger Abalos and Captain Alan Hebert, assist junior firefighters as they don their protective gear at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 16, 2019. The junior firefighters took turns wearing the firefighter uniforms to get a feel for what firefighters must do to protect themselves before heading out to the scene of a fire. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)


Firefighters from the 17th Civil Engineering Squadron train junior firefighters how to properly operate a fire hose at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 17, 2019. The junior firefighters completed a drill in which they learned how to correctly carry the hose and spray water to knock road cones over. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)


17th Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighters, Bradley Keibler and Captain Daniel Chapa, assist a junior firefighter during a drill in which the children were meant to grip the water bottle with the rescue tools to see how they function at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 16, 2019. They learned just how precise firefighters must be in order to use these tools in emergency situations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)


17th Civil Engineering Squadron Firefighters, Trevor Gardner and Frank Villalobos, show the junior firefighters proper ladder operations at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 18, 2019. The children watched a demonstration of ladder safety before ascending and descending in order to put what they learned into action. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)


Junior firefighters donned in protective gear complete a building search and rescue drill at the Goodfellow Air Force Base Fire Department on Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, July 18, 2019. They learned the importance of using a ‘buddy system’ to ensure that they made it in and out of the simulated environment safely. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robyn Hunsinger/Released)

Colorado National Guard firefighting unit deactivates

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Jecca Geffre | A firefighter takes a break from working on the High Park fire in Larimer County, Colo., June 18, 2012. National Guard units from Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming helped with firefighting and evacuation efforts. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jess Geffre) 

CENTENNIAL, CO, UNITED STATES
09.12.2019
Story by Staff Sgt. Joseph Vonnida
Colorado National Guard 

The 1157th Engineer Detachment (Firefighting), Colorado Army National Guard will deactivate in a formal ceremony at the Centennial Training Site Amphitheater, Fort Carson, Colorado, Sept. 13, 2019, at 1 p.m.

The ceremony will honor the accomplishments of the 1157th in supporting civil authorities in Colorado during emergency response operations.

Units are created, deactivated or relocated according to the needs of the U.S. Army. During the deactivation ceremony, the symbol of the unit, its guidon, is formally furled and placed into its protective case. This action symbolizes the transfer of the unit from an active status to a de-active status. The colors and its history are then stored for potential re-activation.

The deactivation of the company embodies the history, traditions and accomplishments of the 1157th. With the deactivation, the unit's legacy is recorded and maintained for future generations.

“These Colorado National Guard members saved lives, prevented suffering and protected property during some of the most destructive wildfires in Colorado’s history,” The Adjutant General of Colorado U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Loh said. “The affected communities will long remember these Soldiers’ contributions.”

Recent history of the 1157th and its members include support to state and local partners during the High Park Fire in 2012. The unit had the only apparatus capable of supplying water pressure to reach the elevations needed for fire suppression operations. The tender supplied water for five days, supporting five crews estimated at 100 firefighters, and supplying more than 3000 gallons of water.

During the Black Forest Fire in 2013, the 1157th provided structure protection for over 80 houses that would have been otherwise destroyed. They assisted with mop-up procedures, ensuring the fire was “cold” before clearing owners to return to their houses.

During the West Fork Complex Fire in 2013, the unit assisted in protecting two towns from the fire.

During the Spring Creek Fire in 2018, the unit responded to an in-flight emergency for smoke in an aircraft cockpit, resulting in no injuries and no damage to property.

Warrior Finds A Way

Photo By Staff Sgt. James Avery | Capt. Devin Reierson, Chief of Plans, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), on the job with the Chaumont volunteer fire department after a first responder call.

FORT DRUM, NY, UNITED STATES
09.07.2019
Story by Staff Sgt. James Avery
1st Brigade Combat Team,10th Mountain Division (LI) 


On August 24, 2019 at 10:17 p.m. the Chaumont volunteer fire department received a call for emergency responders to the home of Larissa Blake, who unexpectedly went into labor. Among those first responders was a volunteer firefighter and U.S. Army captain Devin Reierson.

Reierson, along with the help of EMT Nicholas Birchenough, delivered the baby at 10:29 p.m. in the Blake’s bathroom.

“Not all the calls are good ones, but this one was good,” said Capt. Reierson, Chief of Plans, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. “I’ve been a volunteer firefighter in one capacity or another for about ten years now, and it’s an incredibly rewarding way to actively serve in the local community.”

In the last year Capt. Reierson has logged 530 hours as a volunteer fire fighter at the Chaumont volunteer fire department. During that time he has served as the 2nd Assistant Chief responding to calls across the North Country community.

“Being a volunteer firefighter was the coolest thing I could think of when I was 18 years old,” said Capt. Reierson.

Even with responsibilities to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, Capt. Reierson manages to balance both his professional requirements and his volunteer aspirations, and he plans to continue his service in both as long as he can.

Capt. Devin Reierson (right), Chief of Plans, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), poses with members of the Chaumont volunteer fire department after a first responder call.

Fallen 9/11 Firefighters Honored by VTANG and South Burlington Fire Departments

SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT, UNITED STATES
09.11.2019
Photo by Ryan Campbell
158th Fighter Wing 

Firefighters from the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard and the South Burlington Fire Department, prepare to climb the stairs of a six-story parking garage tower to mark the highest point firefighters reached in the twin towers on 9/11, Burlington International Airport, South Burlington, Vt., Sept. 11, 2019. Carrying the U.S. and Vermont state flags, they will ascend to the top and back down 18 times, the equivalent of the 78th floor of the south tower that firefighters reached during the attacks which took the lives of 343 firefighters among the 2,977 total victims. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Campbell)

Photo by Ryan Campbell