442nd CES Firefighters Prepare to Deploy

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Wesley Wright
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Approximately 10 Airmen from the 442nd Civil Engineer Squadron here are scheduled to deploy to the Middle East this spring.

Reserve firefighters with the 442nd CES, most of whom are also civilian firefighters, will deploy to provide civil engineer services to an air base there.

"They will be providing fire and emergency services, fire inspection and support," said Senior Master Sgt. Nathan C. Hooton, 442nd CES superintendent. "They will be doing any type of first-responder stuff - the basic fire department mission."

Hooton said while the overall tempo of operations may be slowing down, the 442nd CES still has a mission to accomplish.

"Our mission is for deployment readiness and contingency deployments," he said. "We don't have a home-station mission here, so when we're not deployed, we're training to deploy."

Part of that training consists of refresher and familiarization with firefighter equipment, such as that on the fire trucks. The 442nd CES, Hooton said, does not maintain such equipment due to its mission, so they partner with their active-duty counterparts to accomplish the necessary training.

"It doesn't make sense for us to have a home-station asset for training," he said. "That's why we have the memorandum of agreements with our host unit to use their equipment. It's a challenge because we can only use it at the availability of the 509th CES."

Even if 509th assets are not available, Hooton said, there is still much to do.

"They just don't sit around if equipment is not available," he said. "There is always something to be trained on - CE requirements, national firefighter requirements and many other things."

Another Airman helping the 442nd CES Airmen to deploy is Tech. Sgt. Sandra Findley, a planner with the 442nd Logistics Readiness Squadron.

"I make sure all their training is done and they are medically qualified so they can deploy," she said. "We coordinate with Senior Master Sgt. Hooton to make sure their training is complete, updated, all their appointments are met."

While Hooton makes sure his Airmen are trained and ready on the military side, he and Findley are also involved in making sure they are prepared in their civilian lives.

"You have to be committed to going before you put in your name," Hooton said. "There is a lot of work that has to be done on the home front. When you've got school, a job, a spouse and kids and all that, sometimes details get overlooked."

Hooton said most people do not know what they need to do to get prepared at home for deployments. There are lots of resources Airman can utilize in the unit, he said.

"I'm really proud of our squadron's deployment program," he said. "We have so much experience, and we can give personal experience and say 'Hey, this is what you need to pay attention to take care of your family.'"

Hooton advised Airmen to start early and take advantage opportunity of any advance notice on deployments.

"Ask questions," he said. "There are a lot of people who have deployed in the unit. Don't be afraid. There's probably someone sitting right next to you with the same question."

Findley said she agrees with Hooton on making sure the family is ready as well as the Airman.

"Keep your family involved," she said. "Make sure the spouse knows what is going on, get them in contact with Airman and Family Readiness and keep them in the loop."

With abundant resources in, and outside of, the unit, the members of the 442nd CES have all the ingredients and tools in front of them to prepare and execute the mission of Training and Deploying Combat-Ready Airmen.