Marines turn up the heat for airmen on Okinawa
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan(Sept. 28, 2005) -- Firefighters have a common enemy, regardless of the color of their uniform. Marines recently assisted airmen in order to maximize training against this dangerous foe.
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/202545B63AA7E1568525708B0004DE20?opendocument
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MCB Camp Butler
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Computed Name: Pfc. Terence L. Yancey
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2005928205310
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, OKINAWA, Japan(Sept. 28, 2005) -- Firefighters have a common enemy, regardless of the color of their uniform. Marines recently assisted airmen in order to maximize training against this dangerous foe.
Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, recently coordinated with Kadena Fire Emergency service airmen in order to conduct simulated aircraft fire training at the Marines’ burn site Sept. 23.
Kadena’s training facilities are undergoing repairs, so the Marine Corps’ aircraft rescue firefighters opened up their training facility to the airmen.
The airmen, who are part of the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, are tasked with the responsibility of responding to aircraft crashes and flight line fire emergencies like their Marine counterparts.
According to Tech. Sgt. Alton Robinson, a firefighter with Kadena Fire Emergency Services, the unit was able to coordinate with the Marine Corps’ Aircraft Rescue Firefighting team in order to get this essential training done.
The ARFF Marines provided fire trucks and supervised the Airmen’s’ training. In the past, the ARFF team has also opened their fire pit to other services and agencies.
“Anytime another service or organization needs to use the pit we try to accommodate them,” said Chief Warrant Officer-2 Danny Rominger, emergency services officer with Aircraft Rescue Firefighting branch, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, MCAS Futenma. “We’ve opened up training to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, 9th Engineer Support Battalion and the Army. We’ve also done cross training with Marine Corps Bases Japan’s fire department.”
According to Rominger, MCAS Futenma is one of the last Jet Propellant 5 fuel pits still in operation. Most other firefighting units switched to pits fueled with propane, which can be extinguished much easier. The benefit of using JP5 is that the fire is more realistic and takes longer to put out.
“In a real emergency we’d use foam, which would put the fire out in seconds,” Rominger said. “In training we actually work harder than we’d have to in an actual situation, to make sure we’re prepared.”
Military aircraft rescue firefighters are required to do aircraft burn training twice a month.
“It was great getting to interact with the Air Force and see how they operate,” said Lance Cpl. Chad E. Glaser, an aircraft rescue firefighter with H&HS, MCAS Futenma.
Marines and Airmen in the firefighting field attend the same formal occupational school at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. The school teaches the basics of fighting aircraft and structural fires and first aid.
According to Robinson, however, the training never ends, as service members are constantly training and improving their skills.