# News

## U.S. Air Force LogoUnited States Air Force

# Offutt AFB firefighters train with Czech Republic air force

              - Published  June 11, 2019
              -                             By Charles J. Haymond                                                    
              - 55th Wing Public Affairs

**OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AFNS) --  **
Firefighters from the Czech Republic air force, the 155th Air Refueling Wing of the Nebraska Air National Guard and the 55th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department participated in a live-fire training June 5, at Offutt Air Force Base fire pit.Firefighters from Offutt AFB are required to train twice a year using the fire pit and structural burning.“Firefighters face a multitude of high-hazard, challenging scenarios. Heat, fatigue and low visibility, to name just a few,” said David Eblin, Offutt Air Force Base fire chief. “Training in a controlled environment allows firefighters to safely fight actual fires to prepare them for real-world events.”Although this is required training for the firefighters, this exercise was a little unique. This time the fire department was hosting firefighters from the Czech Republic.The Nebraska Air National Guard works in association with the Czech Republic through the State Partnership Program. Each participating guard unit has a brother or sister unit assigned to them. The SPP has been around for 25 years and now includes 76 partnerships with 81 nations around the world. The Nebraska ANG has future plans for an additional partnership with Rwanda.This is the second year the Nebraska ANG and the Czech Republic have participated in the SPP. The first year, the Guard went to the Czech Republic. While strengthening their relationship with the Czech Republic air force firefighters, they also were able to learn more about the Czech’s culture and tour their country.“Every year, or every other year or so, we will be invited to go to their country,” said Master Sgt. Rene Arriola, 155th ARW fire chief. “They provide us with training and we get a lot of the historical tour-type things to familiarize ourselves with the different culture.”Live-fire training at the fire pit and structural burning training scenarios are sometimes scarce in other countries.“We are feeling happy that we could cooperate with you, and with our colleagues and friends from the Nebraska Air National Guard,” said Czech Republic air force Capt. Jan Smetana. “We know how fortunate we are to train in this simulation, installation and facilities. We don’t have these facilities for our firefighters.”The airmen fought through the language barrier to build relationships through one exercise after another. Not only did it expose the Czech Republic to training they would otherwise not receive, it allowed everybody involved to enhance their ability to communicate while fighting a fire, something that is difficult even without a language barrier.“It is very good fortune for us to train our language skills and cooperation,” Smetana said. “In the future we can use it in a potential foreign mission or big foreign exercise.”The training exercises gave the groups the opportunity to learn from the unique experiences of their counterparts. All parties involved said they were able to take something, not just from the exercise, but from the other participants, that they will use in the future to be better firemen.“Firefighters are required to be proficient in a myriad of skills. The key to this preparation is training and repetition. Continually practicing these skills forms a second nature preparedness for real-world events,” Eblin said. “Working with other fire teams provides us an opportunity to expand our knowledge base and experiences through sharing of ideas and processes. Working with the Czech firefighters certainly provided a very unique and rewarding experience for our firefighters and we hope that we can continue this partnership in the future.”

LRAFCECUS Air Force Civil Engineer CenterfirefirefightertrainingAFAir ForceOffutt AFB155th Air Refueling WingNebraska ANGCzech RepublicState Partnership ProgramSPP