SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Firefighters from the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department paid their final respects for departed former Air Force Fire Chief Donald Warner, during a Firefighter Last Call Ceremony an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Dec. 30, 2015.
Warner, who passed away Dec. 22, 2015, retired from the Air Force as Chief Master Sgt. Warner after 20 years of active duty service as a firefighter in 1985. The Hazard, Ky. native joined civil service after retirement and continued his service to the Air Force for 26 more years, 11 of those as the Air Force top firefighter, until Dec. 12, 2012 when he retired again, this time as a civilian.
Warner made significant contributions to Air Force firefighting including the creation of a website to aid in the hiring, training and honoring of DOD firefighters and adding fallen DOD firefighter’s names to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmetsburg, MD,
The father of two also coined the Air Force fire protection motto “The Desire to Serve, the ability to Perform, and the Courage to Act,” in 1980, and his words continue to inspire firefighters today.
“Chief Warner has guided Air Force firefighting through significant changes; he has represented not only Air Force firefighters, but military firefighters with integrity, honor and dedication to service,” said Staff Sgt. Jason, 380th ECES firefighter. “He will be sorely missed.”
A lone Airman rang a single bell three times while the remaining firefighters renderer a silent salute at the conclusion of the ceremony.
The belling ringing, recalls a time in history when its sounding was intertwined with the lives of firefighters, the ringing calling firefighters to an alarm and another signaling the alarm was over.
In this case, it signaled the completion of a departed Air Force legacies’ task.
(Due to security and safety concerns last names were removed)