FORT LIBERTY, NC, UNITED STATES
09.23.2023
Photo by Keisha Frith
Womack Army Medical Center
Fort Liberty Fire and Emergency Services firefighters, pose for a picture after the Womack Army Medical Center Fall Maternity Fair Saturday, September 23, 2023
ST. THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS, US
09.21.2023
Photo by Spc. Keyra Moolenaar
Virgin Islands National Guard, 51st Public Affairs Detachment
PRNG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter releases water from a Bambi bucket to combat fire at the Bovoni landfill, Sept. 21, 2023.
Col. Jorge Gadolffin led the team, arriving on September 20, and was responsible for supplying 60,000 gallons of water to the site (100 drops) prior to their departure on Sept. 21, 2023.
With the support and assistance from various other government agencies, V.I. Fire Emergency Services leads efforts to combat and mitigate the impact of the landfill's fire to protect public health and safety.
"Overall, we will continue to support the requirements until it's necessary for us to cease operations with success through V.I emergency services," says Kodjo Knoxlimbacker, the adjutant general in his address to the public during Government House's Press Briefing on Sept. 21, 2023.
RAF MILDENHALL, SFK, UNITED KINGDOM
09.21.2023
Photo by Airman 1st Class Alvaro Villagomez
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Blake Thomas, left, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron fire protection firefighter, uses a hydraulic tool “Jaws of Life” with the support of Mark Matless, right, 100th Civil Engineer Squadron fire protection crew chief, during a simulated natural disaster mass care exercise at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, Sept. 21, 2023. The tool was used to prop open the vehicle and rescue mannequins stuck inside of the wrecked vehicle. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alvaro Villagomez)
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, UNITED STATES
09.26.2023
Story by Anna Marie G. Gonzales
Commander Navy Region Hawaii
In an effort to prepare for a natural disaster, Hawaii Emergency Management managers from the U.S. Navy work in partnership with various military branches and state agencies to teach Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses to other organizations to help them prepare for future incidents.
“We’re very fortunate here in Hawaii and we get to partner with a lot of different organizations, including the other services,” said Will Luna, emergency management manager for Navy Region Hawaii. “This partnership began when my predecessor and subject matter experts in the field of emergency management came together several years ago under the Indo-Pacific (PACOM) and U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) to create a team of trained professionals to be able to be certified by FEMA to provide these trainings.”
Luna also mentioned that these trainings enabled them to work closely together to provide the knowledge and information across the services.
“Typically, a class is composed of Marines, Coast Guard, Army, Air Force and Navy participants, both civilians and active duty,” added Luna. “We also partner with HI-EMA [Hawaii Emergency Management Agency], and the City and County of Honolulu.”
As one of the instructors, Luna talks about how this course benefits first responders and operation centers.
“Our first responders and our staff here at operation centers are putting their lives on the line when they respond to these disasters,” Luna said. “They’re doing that to save lives of our population and to protect property to sustain mission assurance, and to get that incident under control so that it doesn’t get worse.”
“Those first responders deserve to be safe and have a good plan and have that infrastructure around them to protect them and support them while they do this important mission and that’s what these courses ultimately build," Luna added.
In partnership with the Navy, Peter Hirai, emergency management program coordinator for USARPAC talks about how often these courses are available.
“These courses are usually scheduled several months out but we try to offer these courses three to four times here locally, and we also offer them overseas in all locations throughout the Pacific,” Hirai said. “ We have these courses in Korea, Guam, Japan, and wherever we have a Department of Defense presence.”
“In this class, we are teaching the US 300 course which is a continuation course that basically qualifies somebody to work in the incident command system,” Hirai added. “It is a nationwide approach for people managing incidents, disasters, or planned events.
As part of the National Incident Management System, this course is required for many first responders. When they respond to an incident, they will be better prepared to organize and respond to the incident more effectively.
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NV, UNITED STATES
09.26.2023
Story by Staff Sgt. Abbey Rieves
355th Wing
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Attention to orders: by direction of the President of the United States…The following individual is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross while participating in aerial flight to the United States:
U.S. Air Force Maj. Mark Ross, 66th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Evaluator helicopter pilot, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross at a ceremony hosted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Sept. 23, 2023.
Holding true to Air Combat Command’s mission to maintain combat-ready forces ready for wartime air defense, Ross did just that on August 29, 2021.
“On this date, Major Ross led the last U.S. Air Force HH-60G helicopters out of Afghanistan through known Taliban controlled surface to air weapon systems, across hundreds of miles of hostile territory,” the citation read.
Ross’s heroism and extraordinary actions in aerial flight became evident when he saved six lives in rescue and combat missions during his deployment in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“[Major Ross], ‘Wolf,’ awesome job; you have set the standard in what you do,” said U.S. Col. Air Force John Creel, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) deputy commander. “You didn’t leave anyone behind and you didn’t leave any equipment behind for the Taliban to use. That is—very commendable.”
Ross is a Davis-Monthan alumni, previously assigned to the 55th Rescue Squadron from 2017 to 2020, and assigned to the geographically separated 66th RQS, which organized under the 355th Wing but was inactivated on June 1, 2023.
DM’s rescue values have been ingrained in him: hostile environments or not, Ross must recover downed aircrew and isolated personnel regardless of the time of day or weather event.
“I realized, after I flew that mission, how lucky I actually was,” said Ross, who aerial piloted a 25 mile scud run during the combat mission. “When all the odds were continuing to pile up against us, I still knew what to do. I knew this from all of the training I had received throughout my entire career.”
In the heat of that moment, when decisions had to be made, Ross said he relied on the knowledge and wisdom passed onto him through his career. He now reflects his experiences forward.
“I take that with gratitude, for those who taught me, and also responsibility to pass that on to the next generation,” said Ross. “Rescue is not just a job, it's a sacred mission.”