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Ready, trained, fire! Afghan exercise symbolizes success for Air Force mentors

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore
  • U.S. AFCENT News Team
KABUL, Afghanistan --  Black smoke billowed through the sky above a dilapidated building at Kabul International Airport as an Afghan man lay injured inside, his life resting in the hands of the Afghan National Army Air Corps' response to the crisis.

The Joint Fire Academy initiated this live-fire response exercise to test its military's emergency forces response Dec. 1. While a planned exercise for the fire community, the drill was a no-notice exercise for other Afghan response agencies.

Firefighters, medics and security forces were on scene two minutes after the call for help and quickly went to assessing and taking control of the situation.

"I think an exercise like this validates the importance of training," said Army Col. James Brandon, 438th Air Expeditionary Wing deputy commander. "The Afghans are very interested in learning; they are motivated. They conduct drills, constantly train, improve the training, conduct after-action reviews and conduct exercises. They always look to become better and do better than they have done before."

These exercises provide the Airmen who serve as mentors for these various emergency response organizations a tool to monitor progress and address limitations.

"When we first started training out here, we had a fire and there was no communication between the Afghan medics, security forces and fire groups at all," said Master Sgt. Mike Marascia, 438th AEW fire protection mentor. "We recognized the problem and got it fixed. We worked through our issues, and now we are at the point where they can go through their own exercises."

In the months since a real-world emergency, teams have been working together to hone their reaction skills.

"Every time we can put [emergency responders] through an exercise, they get better at it," said Capt. Victor Baranowski, 438th AEW flight nurse mentor. When they respond to an injury they have never seen before, they learn something new. By going through more exercises, they respond better to what they see.

When Captain Baranowski first started training with the ANAAC medical team, emergency responders would arrive on scene in a pick-up truck with only a trauma bag and stretcher. In the last few months, however, they have acquired an ambulance and a stock of medical supplies.

"The response times for the medics has always been pretty good," said the captain deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "In the beginning, they kind of knew there was going to be an exercise, just not what the injury was. Now, they respond as quick not even knowing there is an exercise - it is very fluid."

The live fire response exercise tested many of the techniques the Afghan emergency response members have learned in the last few months.

"This puts together everything we have done into one ball of wax; it is everything we worked for," said Sergeant Marascia deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. "Live-fire training is as real as you get without actually having an emergency. What we did today, preps them for that real fire. These guys are ready, and this proves their skills."

The mindset of exercising to continuously hone their skills was a process that the Afghan first responders were not familiar with before they started working with their Airmen counterparts.

"When we finished with the tech school, they thought they were done with training," Sergeant Marascia said. "I was like 'no, it is called proficiency training we do it on a regular basis,' Now they are in that mindset."

This change in the fire protection force's mindset is what Sergeant Marascia attributes to the progress his team has made during his time here.

"You guys did really well at your job, I am proud of you," he told fire protection force members. "You have come so far from where you originally started. I did not have to say one word. I was stood back and was able to watch it. You guys have come a long way; I am very happy with you."

The Airmen mentors were not the only ones proud of how the emergency teams responded to the exercise drill.

"In two minutes, we got here and responded," said Maj. Razuddin, ANAAC fire chief. "They got here, put out the fire[and treated a] victim. Everything was good. Today, I realized that we are capable; we are able to put out different kind of fires [from] military bases [to] civilian places. This is our responsibility. I am sure that we stood on our feet because of [Sergeant Marascia]."

Likewise, Colonel Brandon is pleased with the growth he has seen the mentors cultivate in the ANAAC response capabilities.

"Our Airmen are professionals and very good at what they do," said Colonel Brandon who is deployed from Fort McNair, Washington D.C. "So, I think the combination is there between having good mentorship and providing that level of motivation to our Afghan counterparts."