Active, Reserve Airmen join forces to fight fires

  • Published
  • By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Segedy
  • Det. 10, Air Force News Agency
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNEWS) --  A total force team of firefighters from Yokota Air Base and the 440th Airlift Wing, Wisconsin's only Air Force Reserve unit, combined skills to extinguish flames during a live-fire exercise here the last week of April.

The joint training offered an experience Yokota AB firefighters and the reservists could both learn from, most of all teaming up with a totally different group.

The training simulation consisted of two phases. First, the Airmen had to use a firetruck's water guns to put out an aircraft fire, and the second phase had firefighters taking turns entering the aircraft in teams of two to extinguish interior fires in different locations.

"It was pretty realistic," said Tech. Sgt. John Joyce, a 44oth AW firefighter. "It's very hot. The proximity suits we use protect us up to 2,000 degrees."

"The folks here, the reserves and the active duty worked real well," Sergeant Joyce said. "We integrated and accomplished the mission."

Many of the Milwaukee reservists work as civilian firefighters, which brought a whole new perspective to Yokota AB firefighters.

"The way they do things are different, but it is cool to mesh with that because you get to learn so much stuff," said Airman 1st Class Kenneth Tuttle, a Yokota AB fireman.