Some veterans spent the summer back on the battlefield. Fifteen members of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) 20-member Billings, Montana, crew were on the front line battling wildfires across the western United States.
Veterans “come in on day one with more structure, more life experiences,” said Cody Phillips, the crew superintendent who has spent 18 of his 36 years fighting fires for the BLM, according to the Billings Gazette. “They’re easy to supervise, because they fully understand the chain of command. It’s ingrained in them.”
The Gazette reported:
The crew, one of eight from around the nation made up mainly of veterans, typically work 14 consecutive days — some of them 21-hour days — before receiving two days off. They did that nine times this summer throughout Montana, New Mexico, Colorado and other states.
Two firefighters — Chad Colwell, 37, a Marine Corps veteran from Blacksburg, Virginia, and Bryan Vesce, 31, a resident of O’Fallon, Illinois, who served in the Navy, said they’re grateful for the public praise they receive from thankful citizens, the Gazette reported.
“It was arduous at times, hot and dry the whole summer,” Vesce said. “A handshake from a grateful homeowner is worth more than any paycheck.”
“We were visible,” Colwell said of fighting fires in and around Glacier National Park.
“People would drive by and honk,” Colwell said. “They were very grateful we were there.”
According to Colwell, an infantry soldier who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, working with his crewmates provides a similar camaraderie to what he experienced during his military service.
Vesce, a former Navy rescue swimmer, said his military service helps him as a firefighter.
“It’s just ‘Get the job done.’ You get an order and you go do it — while always looking at the safety aspect,” he said.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.