JOINT BASE BALAD -- 343 N.Y.C. firefighters died on Sept. 11, 2001. TF 38 Citizen-Soldiers who are deployed in the fight against terrorism, and who are also firefighters back home, remember that day vividly.
"I think about it all the time," said Chief Warrant Officer Dexter Lawless, of the tragic events 8 years ago. "Many Americans have said that replays of the planes flying into the buildings shouldn't be shown, that it's too traumatic, but I think it should be shown weekly or daily to show that it can happen again. Some Americans have become complacent." Lawless, a TF 38 tactical ops officer and an Indianapolis firefighter continued. "I think people should stay mad that terrorists flew our own planes into the World Trade Center for their twisted cause."
TF 38 Staff Sgt. Ian Marano, a flight medic and an Indianapolis firefighter with the dept's search and rescue team, was in New York to help with the relief efforts the day after the attacks. "I remember all the smoke; there was so much fire and so much dust," said Marano. "We had to wear respirators all the time; it was like living next to a volcano." Marano carries a vial of the debris as a reminder.
Another Indianapolis firefighter and Indiana NG Solider, Chief Warrant Officer Chris Bertrand, a TF 38 master gunner, was in Kuwait as part of Op Desert Spring at the time of the attacks. "We were watching it about 200 miles south of here and watching them come down. I said, 'There goes about 400 firemen,'" Bertrand said sadly. "You knew that there were firemen in there."
While the firefighters remember that day, they're now here to support OIF.
The teamwork they showed for their fellow firefighters back home, they now show for their fellow Soldiers. "The brotherhood, the camaraderie is second to none," said Marano of being a firefighter. "The NG has the same feel. You do what you do for the person next to you."
Another TF 38 Soldier and an Antrim, Ohio volunteer firefighter, Sgt 1st Class Rich Lane agreed regarding the espirit de corps of Soldiers and firefighters.
"You're trusting the Soldier next to you," said the quality control mgr with Co D, 1st Bn, 137th Assault Helicopter Bn, comparing his 2 roles. "If you go into a burning building, you've got to trust the person next to you as well."
Indianapolis firefighter and the TF's asst ops officer, Maj. Kevan Crawley, reiterated that teamwork aspect of both jobs. "You've got a group of people living together and working together," he said. "You're all going the same direction."
Besides the camaraderie, brotherhood and teamwork aspects of the 2 jobs, the firefighters agreed that there's kinship between the 2 professions with rank structure and chain of command. All of the firefighters were in the military prior to joining a fire dept, and they attributed their civilian hiring to their military experience. However, benefits of the dual careers enhance each other, and Lane applies his firefighter skills he learned to his military mission, one of which is his role as a combat life saver. "I bring a lot of that training into the Guard," he said. "I think a lot of the training goes hand-in-hand." He applied his paramedic training by teaching his fellow Soldiers some of those civilian-learned skills on drill weekends.
Bertrand and Crawley said there are other undeniable similarities. "There's always something that could go wrong in both jobs," said Bertrand. "There's continuous learning curve, every time you go to a fire, every time you go to fly a helicopter." Crawley agreed. "Risk decisions are made quickly and efficiently in firefighting and aviation. No missions fail," he said.
Nine days after the attacks Pres. George W. Bush addressed Congress. In it he spoke of Americans' resolve - "We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail."
His inspiration could be these firefighters, these NG Soldiers.
