DODFireNews APRIL 1, 2024
A fire incident occurred in the engine room of the USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012), resulting in the ship being stranded off the coast of Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. The USNS Sgt. William R. Button is a Military Sealift Command vessel that was engaged in routine operations at the time of the fire, as confirmed by MST spokesman Thomas Van Leunen in a statement to USNI News.
With 53 individuals on board at the time of the incident, the ship was left stranded approximately 24 miles from Dauphin Island, as reported by Alabama's Channel 5 News WKRG. Fortunately, the crew successfully utilized the onboard CO2 fire suppression system to extinguish the fire, with no reported injuries. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Following the incident, four tugboats were deployed to tow the ship to Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Ala. Although the ship was initially expected to arrive by 6 a.m. on Friday, it ultimately reached the shipyard at 12:45 p.m., according to WKRG. Van Leunen stated that the USNS Sgt. William R. Button was in Alabama for scheduled maintenance.
Originally built by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division in Quincy, Mass., the ship was acquired by the Navy in 1986. It initially served as MV Sgt. William R. Button before transitioning to USNS Sgt. William R. Button in 2009, as per Navy records. The vessel is part of the Navy's Maritime Prepositioning Force.
According to local police from the Goyang Police Station, the service member reportedly took advantage of a Kia with the keys left in the ignition sometime during Saturday night or Sunday morning. The situation escalated when the Kia rear-ended a truck and another car at a red light in Goyang city, approximately nine miles north of Hongdae, prompting a swift response from authorities.
Firefighters equipped with extraction tools were called to the scene to free the trapped service member from the wreckage of the Kia. Following his rescue, the individual was handed over to U.S. military police for further investigation, including a test of his blood alcohol content. Despite the legal limit for driving in South Korea being 0.03%, the service member allegedly refused a breath test, citing breathing difficulties, and a blood sample was subsequently taken at a local hospital for analysis.
The incident has sparked both local and military investigations, with the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) cooperating with Korean National Police to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the crash. An Eighth Army spokesman emphasized the commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of both South Korean citizens and U.S. soldiers, highlighting that the investigation is ongoing and further details will be disclosed in due course.
A firefighter with the 137th Special Operations Wing Fire and Emergency Services unit dangles from the ceiling in a harness to demonstrate the capabilities of some of their equipment during the 137th Special Operations Wing 2024 Student Flight Fest Invitational event held at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma, March 28, 2024. The invitational allowed for students, educators and other visitors from across the state to broaden their understanding of what the Oklahoma Air National Guard has to offer through aircraft displays, interactive stations, and discussions with Airmen and Soldiers from diverse career fields. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Erika Chapa)
Fire Engine Maintenance Repair Course on Camp Lincoln
