US firefighters train alongside ROK counterparts

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tong Duong
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Members of the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron and Republic of Korea air force's 38th Fighter Group firefighters battled flames alongside one another during a live-fire training scenario at Kunsan Air Base, ROK, March 18, 2013.

The joint-force exercise was a part of exercise Beverly Midnight 13-2, it started with a call to the fire department reporting several members trapped inside a building with spewing smoke.

"Today the 8th CES firemen conducted joint-structural-evolution training with ROKAF firefighters," said Tech. Sgt. Niels Roorda, 8th CES fire department assistant chief of safety. "We are doing this so we have the integration between ROK and US firefighters."

Due to potential language barriers between responders, firefighters conduct joint training to ensure synchronized procedures if called to support a fire, Roorda noted.

"It's really important because when firefighters respond that everybody knows their responsibilities; you show up and execute," Roorda said. "The joint training allows us to just execute without having to be told what to do."

For ROK members, working shoulder-to-shoulder with their counterparts helps strengthen host nation alliances and partnerships.

"We all live and work on the same base, so it's very important ROK and the US Air Force learn to cooperate, and I hope we do more exercises in the future to increase our cooperation," said ROKAF 2nd Lt. Jae Hong Park, 38th FG ground safety officer.