Citizen Airmen Join Forces with Marines, Army, and Local Firefighters for Fire Training in Maui Published Jan. 12, 2025 By Senior Airman Victoriya Tarakanova 624th Regional Support Group JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR - HICKAM, HAWAII -- Almost a year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century, thick plumes of black smoke and the smell of burning rubble once again filled the normally clear, blue sky over the island of Maui, Hawaii. This time, however, the over 20-foot-high flames were constrained to a barricaded training area and surrounded by teams of men and women in firefighting gear working together to extinguish the controlled blaze. The burn was part of a training event where Citizen Airmen from the 624th Civil Engineer Squadron of the 624th Regional Support Group joined firefighters from Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, the U.S. Army’s 297th Engineer Detachment, and the Maui Airport Fire Fighting Rescue Station to practice firefighting techniques Sept. 7-8, 2024, in Kahului, on Maui. “It’s all about controlling the uncontrolled environment as much as we can,” said Master Sgt. Joseph Yamane, 624th CES health and safety officer. “We get in there and we put it out fast. The first day of training involved entering specially designed shipping containers that housed live fires, forcing teams to operate in confined, high-heat environments. The goal was to simulate situations firefighters encounter when dealing with building fires, where space can be tight, temperatures high, and visibility near zero. “We want to put them in fires, put them in confined spaces, to see if they panic in emergency situations,” Yamane said. On the second day, the focus shifted to larger-scale scenarios: extinguishing jet fuel fires surrounding a simulated downed cargo aircraft. Fires fueled by jet fuel require specialized techniques and strategies to control due to their intensity. Groups of 10-20 firefighters took turns executing both exercises, followed by evaluations and debriefs to capture feedback from the experience. For the firefighters, simulating real-world scenarios as closely as possible was essential for effective training. The live fire drills, combined with the environmental factors of heat, wind, and smoke, mirrored the unpredictable nature of actual fire incidents. “Everybody and every situation are different, so you can’t expect it to be one size fits all,” said Army Sgt. John Segawa, station chief and readiness leader for the 297th Engineer Detachment. “You have to take the pros and strengths of certain individuals and situations.” Teams from each unit worked alongside each other during each exercise, helping all participants get to know each other and build inter-force trust. “Building trust and fostering relationships with our sister services is the most important factor,” Yamane said. “We live on an island, so one way or another we’re going to run into each other, and building that camaraderie helps us work together.” For Citizen Airmen, working directly with their Marine Corps, Army, and civilian counterparts is rare, making joint exercises like this critical for mission readiness. “We exchange a lot of techniques and procedures,” Segawa said. “The way the Marines, the Air Force, and the state guys do things is very different from the way we do it. So, we adapt and develop what we learn to improve our own standards.” During both days of the exercise, each branch was able to contribute their own expertise and equipment to make the training a success. The overall training program was spearheaded by Master Sgt. Matthew Pires, Kahului Airport Fire Captain and 624th CES Citizen Airman, assisted by Senior Master Sgt. Angel Palacios, 624th CES Assistant Fire Chief, and Yamane, contributing over four decades of combined firefighting experience. “I’ve got more than 20 years of fire experience on my own with the Air Force and the federal fire department,” Yamane said. “I’ve seen a lot. The Army and Marines can take away some good lessons from this training.” Training participants flew to and from the site on a U.S. Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook, coordinated by Segawa. “The best way to build a team is with camaraderie, integration, and more participation,” Segawa said. “Cramming everybody on the back of a CH-47 and flying to an island is a good way to do that.” The Marine firefighters were led by Gunnery Sgt. David Waterfield Jr., fire officer for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, who was named the 2023 Marine Corps Fire and Emergency Services Military Fire Officer of the Year. “It’s great to come out and work with our brothers in arms,” Waterfield said. The Maui Airport Fire Fighting Rescue Station team provided transportation, instruction, and airport fire rescue trucks, which can store up to 1,500 gallons of water, eliminating the need for a fire hydrant. Many of the 624th CES Airmen work as full-time civilian firefighters outside of their military careers, and several were first responders to the wildfire that devastated Lahaina in 2023. “When Lahaina happened, we were flown up here within a day,” Yamane said. “From there, we rotated people every few days until things were more controlled.” The extreme winds during the Lahaina fire were thought to be a major factor in its spread. “The wind was ridiculous,” he said. “It was 40-50 miles an hour sustained, all coming down from the East. We always train to deal with wind, but it was a bad recipe.” As environmental challenges like these continue to grow and the threat of wildfires has increased across the globe, so has the importance of joint training firefighting exercises. Military and civilian firefighting teams must constantly adapt and evolve, as well as be able to work effectively together. In those real-world scenarios, trust is critical, and live exercises quickly help establish that bond, Yamane added. “On a personal and professional level, you learn a person’s real nature when you’re both standing in the middle of a fire,” he said. The exercise concluded with a helicopter flight back to Oahu and a “hot unload” of all firefighting gear — removing it by hand while the aircraft’s rotors were still spinning. After unloading, participants gathered to acknowledge a successful weekend of training. “If we’re all friends and we’re all brothers, we will fight better together,” Yamane said.