MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- KORAT, Thailand - Aircraft rescue and firefighting Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 successfully extracted a pilot and weapons systems officer from an American F/A-18 Hornet during a training scenario during the Thailand Incremental Training Program (air) here.
The aircraft was simulated to be in an emergency situation with the pilots unconscious after landing the fighter attack aircraft. A rescue crew was promptly dispatched to the scene according to Chief Warrant Officer Todd Tarker, MWSS-171, aircraft rescue and fire fighting officer in charge.
Once the rescue crew arrived on the scene with their Marine Corps P-19 fire truck, crash crew personnel climbed on top of the Marine All-weather Fighter Attack Squadron 332 aircraft and opened the canopy from the outside. The next step in rescuing the pilots was to turn off the aircraft. Tarker said, shutting down the engines requires the fire fighters to be very familiar with the layout and functions of the Hornet cockpit.
Once the engines were shut down, the P-19 driver edged his vehicle's roof near the hornet's cockpit. As the pilots laid acting unconscious, the firefighters carefully and quickly lifted the two Marine Corps officers out of the cockpit and onto the truck.
The scenario ended once the truck was removed from the incident site with the pilots on board.
Throughout the training scenario, the Royal Thai air force firefighters were ready to lend a hand. Their fire truck was poised just to the side of the Marines and each firefighter had a water hose to provide backup for the crew.
During TITP(a) agreements were made between the two countries fire fighting teams. If an accident occurred involving an American aircraft, the Marines would take the lead and the Thais would provide support. If a Thai F-16 was in an emergency the Thai fire fighters would be in control of the situation with the American's providing backup.
This cooperative relationship during the joint training operation has been very special to many fire fighters here.
"Between the training and the camaraderie, you can't beat what we're doing. During down time the Thais and Americans play football or sometimes we try to teach them American card games," said Sgt. Michael Nelson, MWSS-171, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting noncommissioned officer in charge.
Nelson also said that unlike other specialties in the Marine Corps, fire fighters use mostly hand signals during operations, so the language barrier has not affected either country's ability to communicate when training.
The joint training has been beneficial for both countries, Tarker said. Although this is the first year of the TITP(a), Tarker said he hopes this training program will continue in the future. TITP(a) ends operations at the end of November, however, the airport fire fighters of MWSS-171 will be ready to respond until the last jet heads back to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.