Face of Defense: Future Marine Serves as Volunteer Firefighter

By Marine Corps Sgt. Bryan Nygaard

4th Marine Corps District

DUNKIRK, Md., May 15, 2015 – Matthew Shrawder and four other firefighters with the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene of a raging house fire in Owings, Maryland, at 10:30 a.m. March 9.

“When we got there I was playing through my head which line I was going to pull, where I was going to go and just keeping all the training I’ve had in the back of my head,” Shrawder said. “Just try to stay safe.”

Shrawder jumped off the fire truck and ran to the front porch of the burning house where he met Tommy Breen, a retired Prince George’s County fire chief and the first person to arrive on scene.

Into the Inferno

Shrawder started to put his oxygen mask on and go in the front doorway when he saw, amid the billowing smoke and fire, an elderly woman lying in the hallway.

He and Breen went into the inferno and dragged the woman to the front porch where another firefighter carried her to the front yard and an EMT began performing CPR on her.

“When we pulled her out, I didn’t notice until we got her on the front lawn how badly burned she was and that she was in cardiac arrest,” Shrawder said.

Once Shrawder saw that the woman was being cared for, he grabbed the main hose line and went back to work.

“I went in and started making a knock on the fire,” Shrawder said.

Back Into the Fire

He and his fellow firefighters pushed through the first floor, hosing down the flames while enduring extreme heat and blinding smoke.

Shrawder said the roar of the fire was so deafening that none of the firefighters inside the house were able to hear the fire truck alarm meant to signal their evacuation. The intense fire had been rapidly tearing away at the structure and trapped Shrawder in the hallway. A fellow firefighter grabbed him by the collar and pulled him out. During this time, other fire engines arrived on the scene and began working to put out the fire.

Only an hour earlier Shrawder was sitting in class at Northern High School.

Fire, Rescue and EMS Cadet Program

The 18 year old is part of the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Medical Services Cadets, a special vocational technical program funded by the Calvert County Board of Education that qualifies teenagers to respond to fires and other emergencies.

Students such as Shrawder participate in this year-long program where they join a volunteer fire department and attend training sessions in lieu of free periods during school hours.

Shrawder enrolled in the cadet program when he was 15 years old. However, he was not able to go out on calls until he turned 16. In that year, he spent most of his time cleaning gear and equipment.

“You can ask any guy at the firehouse. I cleaned 24/7,” he said.

Shrawder said he has basically lived out of the firehouse ever since he joined the program three years ago. He’s responded to several hundred calls, ranging from house fires to car accidents, and injuries. He was recognized by the fire station for making more than 500 runs in 2014.

Exceeding Standards

William Rector, the fire chief for the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department, says that Shrawder is more experienced than many of the firefighters he has worked with in the last 14 years.

“His actions in the fire department are pretty impressive for someone his age,” Rector said of Shrawder. “If we had more young men like him, the fire department and the military would be a much better place than what it is now. Every place has its challenges, but very seldom do we find someone who exceeds our standards.”

‘It’s Our Job’

The Calvert County Board of Commissioners recently recognized Shrawder with a proclamation for his acts of heroism on that fateful day in March. He is very quick to downplay any praise he has received from friends, family, and coworkers.

“I don’t really think I deserve it because it’s what we’re supposed to do -- it’s our job,” Shrawder said. “We don’t need a pat on the back for doing our job.”

Shrawder is scheduled to attend Marine Corps recruit training this summer after he graduates high school. He says he always wanted to enlist in the military and made the decision to join the Marine Corps sometime when he was in middle school.

Shrawder believes the stress of being a firefighter will prepare him for the stresses of recruit training and for life as a Marine.

“I’m handed multiple tasks at one time,” he said, “and I have to deal with it … I think it will help me a lot.”

354th EFS welcomes new commander to TSP

by Senior Airman Dylan Nuckolls
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

5/15/2015 - CAMPIA TURZII, Romania -  -- Lt. Col. Ryan Hayde took command of the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron from Lt. Col. Steven Behmer at Campia Turzii, Romania, May 15, 2015, in the middle of the U.S. Air Force's inaugural European theater security package.

Col. Clinton Eichelberger, 355th Operations Group commander, Davis-Monthan Air Base, Arizona, presided over the change-of-command ceremony with more than 100 U.S. and Romanian Airmen in attendance.

Twelve A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft currently support NATO allies as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a demonstration of U.S. European Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa's continued commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to the enduring peace and stability in the region.

"(Hayde's) time and experience is exactly what the 354th EFS needs to continue its legacy as the premier close air support and combat search and rescue A-10 squadron in our U.S. Air Force," said Eichelberger. "I am confident you will build upon its legacy and you will do great things as Bulldog One."

Hayde, a senior pilot with more than 1,800 flying hours including 323 hours in combat, highlighted the role the more than 300 Airmen of his new squadron perform on a regular basis as part of the TSP throughout Eastern Europe.

"To the men and women of the 354 EFS, you are a part of an important mission," said Hayde during his first address to the squadron. "That mission has taken this squadron around Europe. We have trained together with our NATO allies. We have forward deployed to multiple locations and proven we can deploy munitions in close proximity to friendly troops in any weather, day or night.

"The United States is committed to the security and stability of Europe," he continued. "I look forward to working with you as we continue to show the world America is ready now."

A change of command is a military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding office to another.

Missing Helicopter Found in Nepal, Investigation Ongoing

From Joint Task Force 505 News Releases

OKINAWA, Japan, May 15, 2015 – Joint Task Force 505 personnel today identified the wreckage of a Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopter that went missing May 12 in Nepal.

The helicopter, assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469, was delivering humanitarian assistance in support of Operation Sahayogi Haat, the U.S. military earthquake relief effort.

The helicopter was reported missing with six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese service members aboard, JTF 505 officials said May 13.

Today at approximately 3:00 p.m. Japanese Standard Time a Nepalese search team identified possible wreckage of a downed aircraft approximately eight miles north of Charikot, Nepal.

Joint Task Force 505 dispatched a team of pararescuemen and a combat rescue officer to assess the wreckage. At approximately 5:05 p.m. Japanese Standard Time the team confirmed that the wreckage was that of the missing helicopter.

JTF 505 currently has a team of four pararescuemen and one combat rescue officer on the ground. Two Hueys assigned to HMLA 469 and one MV-22 Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 are operating in support of the survey.

The assessment of the site is ongoing and a thorough investigation will be conducted.

DoD Honors Former Australian Defense Official for Public Service

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2015 – The Defense Department yesterday recognized a former senior Australian defense official for almost 50 years of outstanding public service to his country and for his contributions to a successful U.S.-Australian partnership.

Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, presented the U.S. Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service on behalf of Defense Secretary Ash Carter to Warren King, former chief executive officer of Australia’s Defense Materiel Organization, during a Pentagon ceremony.

King stepped down Feb. 27 after almost five decades in Australian defense and industry, including 20 years of service with the Royal Australian Navy and a short-term assignment working on acquisition reform under the U.S. Navy secretary.

Advancing Leading-edge Technologies

The retired executive was nominated for the award in recognition of his leadership and project management expertise as chief executive officer of the Defense Materiel Organization.

Kendall lauded King for his personal contributions to the success of the U.S.-Australian partnership and in advancing leading-edge technologies.

“Mr. King played a significant role in the Australia-United States Ministerial Defense Acquisition Committee,” Kendall said, “where he enhanced the connectivity at the operational and working levels across cooperative acquisition, logistics support, research and development, and the test and evaluation of defense equipment.”

On hand for the presentation was Kim Beazley, Australian ambassador to the United States, along with members of King’s family and senior U.S. and Australian defense officials.