Staff Sgt. Kula Funn, Firefighter with the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, UNITED STATES

12.05.2020

Photo by James Bowman 

624th Regional Support Group  

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Reserve Citizen Airman Staff Sgt. Kula Funn, a firefighter with the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron, drains the water hose during a live-fire exercise between the Hawaii State Fire Department and the 624th Regional Support Group Dec. 5, 2020 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Live-fire training maintains proficiency by safely fighting fires in a controlled setting under supervision. The 624 RSG Pacific Warriors provide throughput of cargo, passengers, patients and runway repair in the Pacific. (U.S. Air Force Photo by James Bowman)

Search continues for pilot missing after Tuesday night F-16 crash in Michigan

 

By COREY DICKSTEIN | STARS AND STRIPES

Published: December 9, 2020

WASHINGTON — Military troops and local emergency responders are searching for a Wisconsin Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot who ejected Tuesday night before the jet crashed in northern Michigan, Guard officials said.

Crews are searching by ground, air and water in the area for the missing pilot whose jet crashed about 8 p.m. during a routine training flight, according to the Wisconsin Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing. The Guard said the pilot’s status remained unknown Wednesday morning.

“We are a close-knit family and when an incident like this occurs, every member in our organization feels it,” Air Force Col. Bart Van Roo, the 115th Fighter Wing’s commander, said Wednesday in a statement. “The safety of our pilot along with search and rescue efforts are our top priority, and we will continue to pray for the pilot’s safe return.”

The Guard said the aircraft crashed in Delta County in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a rural and heavily wooded area along Lake Michigan. Local news outlets, including WLUC TV, reported the jet crashed into the Hiawatha National Forest.

Wisconsin National Guard officials said members of the 115th Fighter Wing had arrived by Wednesday at the crash site to secure the area. The cause of the crash was not yet clear and was under investigation, a Guard official said.

The 115th Fighter Wing is based at Truax Field, an Air National Guard Base just outside of Madison, Wisc., some 250 miles south of the crash site.

The wing announced earlier this week that it would be conducting nighttime flying operations from Dec. 7 to Dec. 10 to certify its pilots to fly in the dark.

dickstein.corey@stripes.com

Twitter: @CDicksteinDC

624th Regional Support Group Firefighters

 

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII., HI, UNITED STATES
12.05.2020
Photo by James Bowman 
624th Regional Support Group  

Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron walk towards a fire truck during a joint live-fire exercise between the Hawaii State Fire Department and the 624th Regional Support Group Dec. 5, 2020 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Live-fire training maintains proficiency by safely fighting fires in a controlled setting under supervision. The 624 RSG Pacific Warriors provide throughput of cargo, passengers, patients and runway repair in the Pacific. (U.S. Air Force Photo by James Bowman)

Fire Station Renovations for Fort Drum Firefighters.

Fort Drum firefighters are receiving a belated gift this holiday season when interior renovations to Fire Station #1 and #3 are set for completion by the end of December. Improvements are being made to bathrooms, kitchens and living quarters, as well as the replacement of flooring, ceiling tiles and light fixtures. (Photo by Mike Strasser, Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs)

FORT DRUM, NY, UNITED STATES

12.08.2020

Story by Michael Strasser 

Fort Drum Garrison Public Affairs  

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Dec. 8, 2020) -- Fort Drum firefighters are receiving a belated gift this holiday season, and it’s something they are all going to appreciate heading into the New Year.

Interior renovations to Fire Stations #1 and #3 have been ongoing since August with an expected completion date of Dec. 31.

The work on Fort Drum Fire Station #1, which was originally built in 1988, includes new bathroom, kitchen and living quarters for the firefighters. Additionally, flooring, ceiling tiles and light fixtures are being replaced.

“I have been here for 23 years, and I’ve never seen a renovation to this building like we presently have,” said Fort Drum Fire Chief Jason Brunet. “This was much-needed.”

Mike Thomas, Fort Drum Directorate of Emergency Services deputy director, said that Fire Station #1 is considered the workhorse of the department due to its location in the garrison footprint.

“They get the majority of the calls from our Soldiers and family members, and so maintaining the facility is very important to us,” he said. “This is part of our continuing efforts to improve our capabilities and our infrastructure.”

Brunet said that Fire Station #3 was undergoing similar renovations in addition to receiving a new boiler.

“Both fire stations have the same completion date, and they are expected to be finished on time,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier with how this has progressed, and that is due to how well we’ve been able to work with the Fort Drum Public Works team and the contractors.”

The firefighters said that the added comfort and conveniences make a world of difference to them.

“At a minimum, there are going to be four firefighters at Fire Station #1 at any given time, maybe six,” Brunet said. “We only had one shower for them. That’s something we were able to fix for them. Basically, this was about making life more functional.”

To that end, many of them contributed ideas to improve the conditions inside the fire stations. Brunet said their input ranged from the color of the kitchen cabinet tops and base moldings to the additions of a pull-out trash bin and spice rack.

“Everybody had gotten together to talk about the things they wanted to see, and it was really a joint effort between the officers and firefighters to make this our home,” said Firefighter Garrett Burback. “People say this is our second home, but honestly, I probably spend more time here than I do at my actual home.”

While the square footage hasn’t changed, Burback said that the renovation is making better use of the space.

“Instead of everything looking so small and compartmentalized, we wanted things to seem more open and spacious,” he said. “Everybody is really happy with how this is going to look when it’s finished. It has a homier environment than before.”

Burback has served with Fort Drum Fire for 17 years, and he said that there were never any complaints about the fire station – just wishful thinking.

“Everybody understands that money is not always there for something like this, so we were all kind of just waiting for this day,” he said. “We knew it would happen eventually, but there were no complaints. I’ve been to other fire departments, so I know that we’ve had it good here.”

At Fire Station #3, Firefighter Kenneth Stout said that the new kitchen layout was designed for efficiency and ease-of-use.

“Basically what we had before was just a shelf with everything crammed inside,” he said. “If you were looking for steak seasoning, you could spend minutes digging around for it. With the new layout, daily life is going to be a lot easier in here.”

Stout, a former 2nd Brigade Combat Team Soldier, has served with Fort Drum Fire for eight years.

“A lot of people would think this isn’t much, but when you’re here 48 hours at a time, even having a fresh coat of paint on the wall makes a difference,” he said.

As quality-of-life projects go, Brunet said that this one is much-deserved and much-needed for his department.

“When you look at the schedule for firefighters, these guys are living here two days straight before they even see their own homes,” he said. “So it’s important to us that we can make this – their home away from home – as comfortable as we can.”

At the end of the day, Brunet said that these renovations are also about departmental readiness.

“Our firefighters have to be ready to respond whenever that alarm goes off. Any improvements we can make that will positively affect their ability to perform – whether it’s an additional bathroom or a new stove – then that’s what we’re going to do.”

AUAB Firefighter for a Day program builds cohesion among base personnel

Photo By Staff Sgt. Jordan Martin | Fighting through a cramped space, Senior Airman Nyell Sanchez, a medical logistics technician in the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group, works blindfolded to traverse through a confined spaces obstacle course at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Nov. 13, 2020. Sanchez participated in the Firefighter for a Day program hosted by the Al Udeid AB fire department. The program puts participants through physical and mental challenges that mimic what firefighters are trained and expected to do in emergency situations. Not only does the experience allow volunteers to better understand and appreciate firefighters, but it helps build cohesion among members of Al Udeid AB allowing everyone to better complete the CENTCOM mission and posture to prevail tomorrow.

QATAR

12.03.2020

Story by Staff Sgt. Jordan Martin 

379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs  

The Firefighter for a Day program at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, goes beyond the average firehouse tour.

Participants not only get to explore the station, ride in the fire truck and even spray the hose, but what makes the program truly special is the earned-in-sweat accomplishment after enduring an exhausting set of challenges.

“Be prepared to sweat, be prepared to talk to yourself and be prepared to be pushed,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kristopher Boysel, a fire operations crew chief with the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron. “We want to push you to your limits within safety reason. It’s not to work you down, but it’s to show you that you can push yourself through anything physically, you just have to put your mind to it.”

Participants face a series of physical challenges that mimic what firefighters experience in emergency situations. Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Robinson, fire chief of Al Udeid AB, assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, hopes that volunteers will discover and appreciate the great men and women who protect Al Udeid AB.

“Staff Sgt. Boysel is the architect behind what some have called an ‘unforgettable experience.’ The purpose of the Firefighter for a Day program is reciprocal,” said Robinson. “It allows participants a hands-on experience of what it takes to be a firefighter, provides firsthand knowledge about the equipment, technology and tactics used in Air Force fire protection, strengthens team building skills and reinforces trust and communication within the community in which we serve.”

The Al Udeid Fire Department provides professional emergency response, aggressive fire prevention and community education programs to preserve the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing’s ability to support combat operations.

“Our mission is to lessen the risk, both on the probability and the consequence axes, that the wing takes while accomplishing its mission,” said Robinson.

After a short tour of the fire station and its equipment, volunteers faced their first challenge—a firefighter fitness test.

“It’s a test that we have to take annually as firefighters,” said Boysel. “It’s in our gear and gives them kind of a real-life experience of what it’s like to be physically exhausted inside of fire gear.”

Participants move from station to station; all while being timed. Whether it’s dragging a heavy mannequin to safety or pulling a fire hose across the parking lot, each task compounds on the one before it. Senior Airman Nyell Sanchez, assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group as a medical logistics technician, said the experience was one he wouldn’t forget.

“They put me in a lot of tough situations,” said Sanchez. “The suit was a lot hotter than I thought it would be and I definitely had to push myself in the end once I got to the dummy drag. It makes me respect their career field a lot more.”

Following completion of the firefighter fitness test, they switch to “disoriented firefighting”. Volunteers are first blindfolded and then sent through a confined-spaces obstacle course. They must crawl through cramped obstacles and they must do it as a team. Clear communication and focus get the teams through each obstacle.

According to Sanchez, navigating through the confined spaces was the most challenging part of the day for him.

“I had to control myself that way I could really think and get through what I needed to get through,” said Sanchez.

Whether Airmen work in an office, or turn wrenches on the flight line, it is rare that they experience another career field beyond their own. However, everyone on Al Udeid AB benefits from the hard work and expertise of the fire department. Through programs like Firefighter for a Day, the fire department enhances cohesion between themselves and the base personnel they serve, allowing everyone to better complete the mission and posture to prevail tomorrow.

“The participants are really only getting a small example of what we do,” said Boysel. “Which means that if we can show you how hard it is in 2-3 hours, it puts a big picture on what it’s like to do if 24/7.”