AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- It was a quiet, chilly night. A group of individuals are hanging out in a dayroom. One of them is getting in a late-night workout. Another is catching up on the latest news. Two friends are duking it out in a battle royale. Others are catching some z’s before the night shift begins. But this peaceful night quickly came to an end.
A loud, ear-piercing alarm rang throughout the room. A voice spoke over the intercom, thrusting them into action. The firefighters dashed to the trucks and raced to the scene. With 60 pounds of bunker gear, they charged up three flights of stairs.
They burst through the door and found an Airman on the ground. He was fading in and out of consciousness with white foam seeping from his mouth. They rolled him onto the backboard and quickly performed CPR measures. They carried him down to the ground floor and loaded him into the ambulance. As the ambulances took the Airman to the hospital, one of the firefighters stood back, reflecting on what he and his team had accomplished. They had just saved a life. Had they been even a couple minutes late to the scene, the Airman could have died.
Through the skillful training by the Air Force and the deep-rooted passion to become a first responder, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jalyn Cash, 31st Civil Engineer Squadron driver operator, is prepared for incidents like this. Although being a firefighter can be difficult at times, he said he is always ready for the next challenge.
Cash was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Growing up Cash said he made it his life’s goal to become a firefighter. Having the opportunity to save someone’s life inspired him to become a firefighter. However, the hero’s journey is always met with obstacles.
“Civilian departments in Indianapolis only hire once every two years,” said Cash. “During the hiring process, you must take a written test, a physical test, an interview and a psychological evaluation. But every time I went up, I would always trip up on one of the tests and had to wait another two years before trying again.”
Despite his failures, he would eventually find a way to accomplish his dream.
“My father was prior military,” said Cash. “Throughout my childhood, I was raised in a household that emphasized the importance of being a public servant, so it made a lot of sense for me to join.”
Cash joined the military in 2020, and after graduating from basic training, he spent the next 67 training days at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, in technical school.
During training, firefighters learn many skills, to include putting out fires, search and rescue, pre-hospitalization services and aircraft rescue. About a month and a half in, his instructors set up a blazing fire that the students had to run into and rescue people from.
“Going in the first time is definitely shocking,” said Cash. “You run into the fire, and the heat is real. I was frozen for a minute before realizing, ‘Hey, I have this water and this hose in my hand. I can do something about this.’”
Eventually, he would embrace his role as a firefighter.
“After the first couple times, you start to develop a different mindset,” said Cash. “You realize that at the end of the day, you’re a firefighter, you’re trained to run into the fire and rescue the people inside and you’re prepared to give your life if necessary. It’s a noble task that I’m proud to be a part of.”
After graduating from the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, Cash was assigned to Aviano Air Base. While he has not run into any blazes yet, Cash does help his fellow wingmen in many ways.
“Cash has been working maintaining 72 overall emergency response packs in order to adhere to the strict standards of the National Fire Protection Association,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cameron Puchar, 31st CES logistics noncommissioned officer in charge. “He is one of four of our service and repair technicians who ensured the maintenance of the self-contained breathing apparatus program, which is vital for sustaining emergency response capabilities.”
Alongside maintaining SCBA, Cash also furthered his medical education by earning his Emergency Medical Technician certificate within the past year. With all his hard work, Cash was bound to be rewarded, which came in the form of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Firefighter of the Year award in 2022.
“Having Cash on our team is a huge blessing,” said Puchar. “He brings a different perspective to the team and a pure motivation to get the job done and better himself.”
Although he consistently goes above and beyond at work, he also finds time to prioritize his family.
“It’s difficult raising a family as a firefighter,” said Cash. “I have a wife and a four-year old daughter that I only get to see every other two days. For my wife, she has it harder because normally I would be able to share the burden of raising our child, but with me working 48 hours at the firehouse, it’s all on her.”
Fortunately, Cash and his wife are able to conquer the challenges that come their way.
“She’s an incredible, amazing person,” said Cash. “I don’t know what I would do if the roles were reversed. If she were to be away for the amount of time that I’m gone, I’d probably pull out my hair; I’m very proud of her and my daughter.”
A firefighter, an Airman, a brother, a son, a husband. One who saves lives, one who risks his own life, one who raises lives. These are the qualities and characteristics of Senior Airman Jalyn Cash.