446 Firefighters join CES and cops in Kirkuk Published Dec. 29, 2009 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- A fire protection flight with the 446th Civil Engineer Squadron here will join fellow Reservists from the 446th CES and 446th Security Forces Squadron here in Kirkuk, Iraq January. The firefighters will be deploying in support of operations in Iraq for on 120-day rotation. "We volunteered for it," said Senior Airman Michael Glover, 446th CES firefighter. "This is another way we can say that we served our country. Not many people get to deploy and do what we do." Some of the things the flight will being doing in the area of responsibility will involve training and real world emergencies, according to Senior Airman Austin Ginter, a 446th CES firefighter. There will be a lot of training so we can stay up to date with our records, said Airman Ginter. We'll also respond to medical calls, incident responses, fire protection and prevention, in-flight emergencies, alarm activations, and motor-vehicle accidents. According to Airman Glover, the flight is ready for the call. "We're just finishing up our out-processing and then we're gone," said the Pasco, Wash. native. "We're squared away." Airman Glover credits the diverse backgrounds of the firefighters being one of the factors keeping them ready. "Some of our guys are civilian firefighters and get a lot of calls," said Airman Glover. "They're used to the job." Airman Ginter recognizes the opportunity to get on-the-job training during this deployment. This is a good way to get OJT, said the Vancouver, Wash. native. Being a Reservist, it's difficult to get the required training in such little time. Now it can be done, hands on, in four months. The 446th CES Fire Protection Flight will add to the nearly 100, deployed Reservists from the 446th Airlift Wing supporting contingencies around the globe.