Today we remember Firefighter Christopher Raguso.

The DOD Firefighter community mourns the loss of a great man, along with six others. Christopher Raguso sadly was killed when his helicopter crashed early in the morning on March 15th. Before becoming a Flight Engineer for the 106th Rescue Wing, Christopher started his military career with the New York Air National Guard as a Firefighter with the 106th Rescue Wing and again for the State of New York as a Firefighter for the Division of Military and Naval Affairs before joining the ranks of the FDNY working his way up to a Lieutenants position assigned to Battalion 50 in Queens NY. The FDNY stated that on six different occasions Chris was cited for bravery and Lifesaving actions as an individual firefighter or part of a team. In addition to his fire service career, Christopher Volunteered with the Commack Fire department where he held the rank of Lieutenant in Company 4. This is a man whose core values truly where to help people, and lived up to the motto “That Others May Live.”   God Bless him and his family

  "You are only forgotten when you are no longer remembered - and we will never forget."

Orginal Story:

All seven service members on board a U.S. helicopter died on Thursday, March 15th, 2018 when it crashed in western Iraq, according to the Department of Defense (DoD). The department said in a statement that the crash “does not appear to be a result of enemy activity,” and is being investigated.

The DoD said the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed at about 6:45 p.m. local time, and the scene was subsequently secured by Iraqi and coalition service members. Reports from the crew of an accompanying helicopter said the HH-60 crashed after striking a power line, ABC News reported.

The names of the deceased will be released after next of kin have been notified, according to the DoD.

President Donald Trump posted condolences on Twitter, saying, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the brave troops lost in the helicopter crash on the Iraq-Syria border yesterday. Their sacrifice in service to our country will never be forgotten.”

Vice President Mike Pence also posted on Twitter, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the loss and that “the U.S will fully investigate the cause of this accident.”

According to the Pentagon, there are approximately 5,262 U.S. service members in Iraq. Two Americans have died in non-combat related incidents in Iraq this year, ABC News reported.

Line of Duty Memorial Page 

LATHAM, NY, UNITED STATES
03.17.2018
Story by Eric Durr
New York National Guard


Four New York Air National Guard members assigned to the 106th Rescue Wing, stationed at F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, died in Iraq on Thursday, March 15, the Department of Defense announced today.

The four New York Air National Guard Airmen were part of a seven-member team who died when the HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter they were flying crashed near the city of Al-Qa'im in western Iraq. There is no evidence of enemy action involved in the crash and the incident is under investigation, according to the Department of Defense.

Killed were:

Christopher Zanetis,, age 37, a resident of Long Island City, N.Y., is one of four members of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard who was killed in an HH-60 helicopter crash on March 15, 2018 in Iraq.

• Capt. Christopher Zanetis,(za-NEH-tis), age 37, a resident of Long Island City, N.Y., who was an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2008 and was assigned to the wing's 101st Rescue Squadron. Zanetis was a member of the New York City Fire Department in civilian life and had recently joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City as an associate. He previously deployed to Iraq in 2011, supporting another HH-60G squadron, and Afghanistan with the 101st.

Capt. Andreas O'Keeffe, age 37, a resident of Center Moriches, N.Y., is one of four members of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard who died in an HH-60 helicopter crash in Iraq on March 15, 2018.

• Capt. Andreas O'Keeffe, age 37, a resident of Center Moriches, N.Y., who was an HH-60G Pave Hawk pilot. He was a full-time federal civilian employee and an Air Guardsman with the wing's 101st Rescue Squadron. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2013, after serving as an armament systems specialist with the 113th Wing, District of Columbia Air National Guard, and RC-26 pilot with the 174th Attack Wing, Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, N.Y. He deployed to Iraq three times, and to Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Texas during Hurricane Harvey.

Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso,, age 39, a resident of Commack, N.Y. is one of four members of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard who was killed in an HH-60 helicopter crash in Iraq on March 15, 2018.

• Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso,(ra-GOO-so), age 39, a resident of Commack, N.Y., who was an HH-60G special mission aviation flight engineer. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2001 and was a member of the New York City Fire Department. He was assigned to the wing's 101st Rescue Squadron. He previously deployed to Iraq as a fire protection specialist with the 106th Civil Engineering Squadron, twice to Afghanistan with the 101st, once to the Horn of Africa, and to Texas and the Caribbean for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs, age 30, a resident of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y. is one of four members of the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard who died in Iraq on March 16, 2018 in a HH-60 crash

• Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs, age 30, a resident of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., who was an HH-60G special mission aviation flight engineer. He joined the 106th Rescue Wing in 2010. He was a full-time military member with the wing and assigned to the 101st Rescue Squadron. He previously deployed to Afghanistan as a munitions system specialist with the 106th Maintenance Group, and to Texas and the Caribbean for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as a member of the 101st.

The 106th Rescue Wing specializes in worldwide personnel recovery of pilots, military personnel and civilians, by air, land, and sea, during combat and peacetime. The 106th Rescue Wing personnel were operating in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the American-led coalition operation to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

"It is with great sadness that I report the loss of four of our wing members," said Col. Michael Bank, the commander of the 106th Rescue Wing.

"All four of these heroes served their nation and community. Our sincerest condolences and sympathies to the families and friends that have been touched by this tragic event," Bank added.

"Our National Guard family mourns the loss of the seven combat search and rescue Airmen in the HH-60 crash, including four members from the 106th Rescue Wing," said Major General Anthony German, the Adjutant General of New York. "This loss reminds us of the tremendous risks we take in serving our nation every day."

"We honor their service, their professionalism, and their sacrifice as we mourn their loss," German added.

The 106th Rescue Wing operates the HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopter, which is a modified version of the Army's UH-60 Blackhawk. The wing also flies the HC-130 search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

Airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing have deployed regularly to Afghanistan and Iraq and other areas in support of American and coalition combat missions since Sept. 11, 2001.

Airmen from the wing also recently responded to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in 2017. The members of the 106th are credited with rescuing 546 Houston area residents from flood waters with boats and their HH-60 Pave Hawks. They played a key role in evacuating 1,500 Americans from the Dutch Island of St. Maarten following Hurricane Irma.

The four Airmen killed on March 15 brings the total number of New York National Guard members who have died in a combat zone since Sept. 11, 2001, to 39. Of those, seven have been members of the New York Air National Guard.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, 27 members of the New York National Guard - including these four Airmen - have died in Iraq. These four are the first New York Air National Guard Airmen to die in Iraq. The others were killed supporting operations in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr., a member of the 105th Airlift Wing's 105th Base Defense Squadron was killed while operating in the vicinity of Bagram Air Base on Sept. 3, 2013.

On Dec. 21, 2015 Tech Sgt. Joseph G. Lemm and Staff Sgt. Louis Michael Bonacasa died when a suicide bomber attacked their patrol in a village outside Bagram Air Base in Parwan Province. Both Airmen were also members of the 105th Airlift Wing's 105th Base Defense Squadron.

Michigan Air National Guard HAZMAT Training Grows Capability, Multinational Partnerships

Photo By 2nd Lt. Andrew B Layton | From March 8 -17, 2018, a multinational training and exercise event for Mine Safety Appliance, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) maintenance and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) handling was facilitated by the Michigan Air National Guard at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena, Mich. The 80-hour HAZMAT curriculum, certified by the State of Michigan and the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), was attended by five military firefighters from Latvia and two aircraft maintenance officers from Bulgaria. (Air National Guard photo by Sara Seymour/released)

ALPENA, MI, UNITED STATES

03.15.2018

Story by 2nd Lt. Andrew B Layton 

110th Attack Wing  

ALPENA, Mich. – From March 8 -17, 2018, a multinational training and exercise event for Mine Safety Appliance, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) maintenance and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) handling was facilitated by the Michigan Air National Guard at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena, Mich. 

The 80-hour HAZMAT curriculum, certified by the State of Michigan and the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), was attended by five military firefighters from Latvia and two aircraft maintenance officers from Bulgaria. 

The Latvian participants are from Lielvārde Air Base, the primary military airfield in Latvia which supports NATO, U.S. and Latvian air operations in Latvia and the Baltic region. The Bulgarian Air Force personnel hail from Graf Ignatievo Air Base. Since 2013, Lielvārde’s fire department has been working with Michigan Air National Guard counterparts under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program (SPP) while Bulgaria is partnered with Tennessee. 

“As an Air Force firefighter, you have to have some HAZMAT experience,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jeremy Wohlford, Alpena CRTC fire chief. “We’re trying to help them get their feet wet dealing with these kind of materials.” 

Wohlford said that when planning the week’s agenda, his team of instructors started with the State of Michigan HAZMAT course, which is also recognized by the National Fire Academy, and tailored it for special emphasis on factors relating to aircraft fires. Portions of the course were taught by civilian firefighters employed by the State of Michigan, which played to the interagency theme of the firefighters’ mission. 

“At Lielvārde, they typically have seven firefighters on shift at any given time,” said Wohlford. “Whenever you’re dealing with HAZMAT, it takes a lot of people and a lot of equipment – they would be augmented by their local civilian fire department if a situation occurred.”

Wohlford added that the goal of the training was to provide firefighters with foundational knowledge necessary to establish an initial response in advance of their civilian counterparts arriving at the scene. 

According to students and instructors, the training and exercise event in northern Michigan provided a unique opportunity for professional discussion, intense skills development, and cross-cultural exchange. 

“We’re all firefighters,” said Steve Barber, a State of Michigan employee who taught a portion of the course material. “The more we can work together and the more we can learn from each other, the better we will function as a team.” 

One of the interesting discoveries for instructors was that in Bulgaria, response teams are dispatched to aircraft incidents that include fire fighters, medical personnel, and aircraft maintenance specialists to fully assess a scene. 

“We’re not first responders like the rest,” said Capt. Nikolay Katsarov, a maintenance specialist for Bulgaria’s fleet of MiG-29s. “We’re interested in dealing with HAZMAT because we are aircraft maintainers and that’s something we would encounter.” 

Officials are quick to point out that strategically, this type of multinational security cooperation activity supports U.S. European Command and NATO objectives, providing both tangible and intangible value. According to Lt. Col. Dustin Budd, Michigan National Guard Bilateral Affairs Officer in Riga, Latvia, such training opportunities directly strengthen NATO by contributing to the capabilities of partner nations, the capacity to support U.S. and NATO air operations, and an ability to operate seamlessly together. 

“These events also introduce people to each other and foster the relationships that lead to greater professional understanding and personal friendships,” said Budd. “We all gain from a strong, vigilant, and credible NATO force. This event adds another small piece to the puzzle as it builds airbase essential services and ultimately supports air operations in Europe.” 

Additional training events are planned to occur at Alpena CRTC later this year and beyond. 

“It's always our sincere pleasure to host coalition partners for training or exercises and we're fortunate to have incredible facilities here that are uniquely suited for events just like this.” said Col. John Miner, Alpena CRTC commander. “The chance to work with our Latvian partners in particular always brings with it a real sense of accomplishment, appreciation, and esprit de corps as we build on a long and successful history of mutual cooperation and friendship.”

For students, the value added is tangible – and immediate. Pfc. Aleksandrs Tomsons, is excited to take new certifications on self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) equipment back to Latvia.

“I can now make adjustments and small fixing jobs on tanks,” said Tomsons. “We’ll take many good things back to improve our training and readiness at home.”

The Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation is proud to announce the 2018 Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The recipients will be notified on 1 July 2018. Winners will be announced on the Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation website no later than 1 August 2018.

Click Here for Application Form

ELIGIBILITY:
This scholarship is for upcoming college freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors that have been accepted into an undergraduate program in a U.S. accredited two year, four year, or vocational school/graduate school during the 2018-2019 academic year. Applicant must be an immediate family member of a member of the DOD Fire Emergency Services, (this includes: Active Duty, Retiree, Reserves, Guard, Civil Service DOD Firefighters, DOD Fire Academy Instructor) or immediate family member of a DOD Firefighter listed on the DOD Fallen Firefighters Memorial, located at Goodfellow AFB, Texas. Immediate family member includes; spouse, children, step-children, grandchildren, brother, sister, or adopted children of the sponsor.

The Heritage Foundation Scholarship Committee has determined that this year they will award one (5) $1000.00 scholarships. These awards will be paid directly to the academic institution for the student’s tuition, books, fees, and on-campus housing.  All applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Selection Board

INSTRUCTIONS:

Applicant must provide the following to the Heritage Foundation Selection Committee; completed application form, copy of your letter of acceptance to college, submit a personal statement of interest (see format below), and request two letters of recommendation. One letter of recommendation should be from a teacher, employer, clergy, or a member of the community familiar with your goals.  The second will be from a member of the DOD Fire and Emergency Services.  NEW: A photograph must be e-mailed to the board members e-mail address at Boardmember@militaryfirefighterheritage.com and a biography mailed in with the application. Mail all required documentation to the Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation postmarked no later than 1 June 2018. You must also request a transcript from your current school.  A Transcript Request form is included to request your transcripts.  Transcripts also must be postmarked by 1 June 2018. The selection board will not mail out transcripts requests on your behalf.

STATEMENT OF INTEREST —Example of format
I (name) will be a college freshman/sophomore/junior/ senior in fall 18/spring 19.
My high school/college cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale is __________.

Community Involvement/Awards/ Extracurricular activities  (hours of unpaid activities within the last four years)

2010-present   Peer tutoring at my high school, 2 hrs/week
2008-present      JV and varsity soccer team, district playoffs 2009, MVP award 2010
2010-present   National Honor Society, 2 hrs/month 
2005-present   Boy Scouts, active participant, Eagle award 2012
2008-present   Debate team, six contests/year

Paid Employment (hours worked per week)
2012-present   Cashier at mall, 15/hrs/week, more during holidays
2008-2012       Summer work on family farm and at produce stand, full time

Future Goals
I plan to attend the local college and live at home for two years before transferring to the university.  I will major in Biology with a future goal of working towards better use of our environment.  I feel I can contribute whether as a conservation officer or developing farming techniques. (Please pay attention to the quality of your writing in this section; this is your opportunity to make a positive impression.)