Elkins Park sends two warriors to Afghanistan

Published May 3, 2012
By Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan -- As the chief gazed upon the fire truck a complex set of emotions and memories played across his face as an ever widening smile began to grow. The truck and the chief both shared a past history of service for the Elkins Park, Pa., Volunteer Fire Department and now shared a common service in Afghanistan. He ran his hand across the unique beige paint job with gold leaf detailing and explained that he knew the man who painted it and that he has since passed away. He chuckled about what a coincidence this chance meeting April 5, at the Kandahar Air Base was.

"What a small world this is," said Chief Master Sgt. John Hoffman, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief. "I can't believe I'm standing by a former Elkins Park fire truck in Afghanistan. The guys back home are not going to believe this."

Hoffman began the 6,885 mile journey to serve in Afghanistan first. He was not satisfied with his career as a house painter and he wanted something more in his life. Although he only planned to serve for four years when he joined in 1984, he has since gone on to have a successful 28 year career in the Air Force. He credits his six year experience in the volunteer fire department as a great launching pad for a strong military career.

"It taught me a lot of life skills," he said. "I learned a lot about leadership. It taught me discipline and the importance of being the best that you can be regardless of the task put before you."

The chief joined the volunteer fire department soon after he turned 18. He admits that the opportunity to work on a lot of great equipment and the ability to drive around in a fire truck were the biggest draws to joining. He said an early epiphany directed him to what was the most important part of being a firedawg.

"Suddenly it hit me that everybody is running out of these buildings as I'm running into them," he said. "I realized that I really better know what the heck I'm doing."

Hoffman jumped into his duties as a Firefighter and took every bit of training he could attend. He said he has a box containing certificates showing his rescue training as an emergency medical technician, driver and operator, "Jaws of Life" operator, ladder user and other numerous skills. He said that even though it has been many years since he last served as a firefighter, he still has full confidence is using those skills.

"Right now if this building caught on fire I would grab the extinguisher and put it out because I would know how to do it," he said.

The chief's service to the Elkins Park Volunteer Fire Department predated the arrival of the 1997 emergency fire truck by more than a decade. The truck was eventually sold to the Canadian government and was then shipped to Afghanistan.

Thomas Churchey, a firefighter with the Kandahar fire department and the current operator of the truck, said the fire truck has been a dependable piece of equipment.

"It has held up well in the desert," he said. "The paint is peeling and the suspension has seen better days, but when it comes to pumping out water it is one of our best performing trucks here."

The chief first learned the truck was shipped to Afghanistan while browsing his former fire department's web page. When he learned he was being deployed to Afghanistan last December, he thought he might have a chance to find the truck. He got that opportunity while conducting a battlefield circulation, or site immersion visit, April 4-5 at Kandahar.

"I wasn't going to make a trip just to see the truck," he said. "But we had a few spare hours while we were waiting for a flight and it seemed like it was meant to be. I have been in the Air Force for 28 years and this was definitely one of the more special events of my career."