DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Arizona -- U.S. Air Force and Arizona Air National Guard firefighters teamed up for a joint live fire training exercise at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, April 1.
Fire engines and nearly two dozen members of the 162nd Wing from the Morris Air National Guard Base joined active duty counterparts for a series of exercises. From extinguishing an aircraft to securing a building, the teams trained together to save lives and preserve property.
“Today’s training is especially valuable because we truly held our Airmen’s feet to the fire,” said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Weisbrod from the 162nd Wing fire department. “Gaining access to realistic live-fire facilities allows us to create conditions that test our skills and tolerance for performing in hot, dark, and dynamic environments.”
During the exercise at the active duty base’s robust training facility, personnel extinguished multiple fires together as one unit, preparing them for real-life incidents.
“Any opportunity to train with other units is beneficial, because emergencies often call for wide response, regardless of which agency you represent,” said Weisbrod. “Fostering these relationships and training alongside each other enhances our collective emergency response capabilities.”
The MANGB is located at the Tucson International Airport and the fire department is part of airport operations. Training with other units is important to ensure firefighters can work alongside other military units in a deployed environment and also answer the call domestically when civilian partners need assistance.
“Due to our 24/7 mission at Morris Air National Guard Base, trainings like this are critical to ensuring our team is ready to respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice and prepares our personnel for upcoming deployments,” said Weisbrod.
As Guardsmen, the members of the 162nd Wing serve a unique dual mission. Participating in training prepares them to serve both the state and federal governments for a variety of emergency or contingency operations. By training with D-M, the citizen-Airmen learn from the deployed experiences of their active duty cohorts.
“We are grateful to our partners at D-M, who have the facilities and experience to share such realistic training with our guardsmen,” said Weisbrod.