Goodfellow display best in AETC By Airman 1st Class Brok McCarthy 17th Training Wing Public Affairs The 17th Training Wing was recently awarded the 2004 Air Education and Training Command Heritage Award
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John Garrett, 17 TRW historian, who also holds a doctorate’s degree, received this award at the beginning of April for his work toward the completion of the Military Firefighter Heritage Display with the help of the Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation.
“I was happy when I found out we won,” Dr. Garrett said “It is good recognition for a lot of people who put in many hours of hard work to make this a great display.”
A total of about 10 people have worked on the display, he said. Other than himself, all the volunteer work came from members of the fire academy.
The display’s history began when fire training moved from Chanute Air Force Base, Ill. in 1993 to the Louis F. Garland Fire Academy here.
“When the school relocated to Goodfellow, it brought six trucks with it,” he said. “The plan was to restore these trucks through self-help, but that never materialized. The people who had the idea left and other people never picked it up.”
It wasn’t until 2000 when the Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation was created that the trucks began to get restored.
Currently, the display boasts a total of 11 fire trucks, many are one- or last-of-a-kind. On display are an O-11A Crash Rescue truck, P-2 Crash Truck, Jeep Dry Chemical truck, P-12 Snorkel Telesquirt truck, Navy Pumper, 530B Structural Firefighting truck, R-2 Crash Rescue truck, Magirus Ladder truck, O-6 Aircraft Firefighting truck, Army 2500L Firefighting truck and P-15 Crash Truck.
Each of these trucks is displayed under a pavilion along the troop walk leading out to the fire academy.
According to Dr. Garrett, this is only the first phase of the display and was the only part completed before the displays were judged.
The second phase of the display was the creation of a ceremonial plaza, currently under construction, but has already hosted a memorial service Feb. 17 for Staff Sgt. Ray Rangel, a military firefighter who lost his life in Iraq.
A project report said the other part of this phase, which has also not been completed, is an archway. This outdoor area may eventually be used for fire school graduations.
Phase three will be the memorial, which will be collocated with the plaza.
According to the report, “the monument will feature a pair of life-size bronze statues depicting firefighters rescuing an infant from a burning building. Behind the statues two pairs of black granite pillars recording the names of fallen firefighters. Inscribed on a center stone between the pair of pillars are images of an American flag, a military firefighter and the words FALLEN MILITARY FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL, Remember-ing those who fell in the line of duty.”
The total cost of the project so far has been $320,000 and will be completed in a few years.
The display also won the Air Force level award.