Deployed Aviano Sergeant helps turn up the heat on IqAF training

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau
  • 321st Air Expeditionary Wing
ALI AIR BASE, Iraq --  (Master Sgt. Timothy Vickers is stationed at Aviano Air Base, Italy)

The 407th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron fire department is training 15 Iraqi firefighters on the basics of fighting fires during a 24 day training course.

Facilitated by the 321st Expeditionary Mission Support Advisory Group, whose mission is to advise and assist the Iraqi air force to prepare them for the transition of U.S. military forces from Iraq, the training goes over the many aspects of fighting fires, from how to wear and care for gear to how to fight fires.

"We're focused on how we can enable them to meet their assigned mission with the limitations they have," said Master Sgt. Timothy Vickers, 321st EMSAG advisor.

The Iraqi firefighters are missing things that U.S. firefighters wouldn't even think of fighting fires without, like fire resistant gloves, air tanks, and other basic firefighting gear.

"We are able to tap into organic resources on the U.S. side to train them to a level that would otherwise be impossible," said the Ridgecrest, Calif., native.

Even without the proper gear, the firefighters of the 407th are making sure the Iraqis understand and can implement proper firefighting tactics.

"We are teaching them on the basic building blocks... the ultimate goal is to get them to train over and over on those basic building blocks," said Sergeant Vickers, deployed from Aviano Air Base, Italy.

While the curriculum was pulled from a rudimentary training course available to all the Base Transition Teams, the 321st EMSAG tailored it the mission at Ali Air Base.

The trainer's main focus for the class is getting them up to speed so they are able to support the flying mission that Ali Air Base currently holds, but ultimately the long term goal is to set them up to emulate the way the U.S. Air Force operates and to build a proficiency training plan to continue training the skills they learn here.

When the Iraqis finish the firefighter training the 321st EMSAG will continue to advise them and help them grow in anticipation for the transition in December.

"The tendency is for folks to receive training on a skill, and then assume that skill is not perishable. We want to prevent that from happening," said Sergeant Vickers.

Advisors will conduct spot checks of equipment and ensure that the IqAF knows the importance of training, even when there is no longer a U.S. military presence in Iraq.

"It's a challenge daily, but the more the challenge the bigger the payoff," said Sergeant Vickers.