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As seen on:
http://www.stageoflife.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144&g=posts&t=7203
Last night we received a call from our son, only hours after he and his
girlfriend were over relishing the sun with us and enjoying some time
off of his job with the Alaska Division Of Forestry, informing us that
he was going to be deployed with 5 other Alaska division crews, to go
down and assist the fight with the Colorado blazes. The last time he
was deployed to any major wildfire was into the Alaska interior last
year, to fight a fire outside of Tok. Our initial reaction was of both
excitement for him, and of course, worry. Upon contacting family both
on my side and my wife’s to let them know, the sentiment was the same,
maybe more on the side of worry.
Here’s the deal: This is what he
has trained for both last summer and this side of this years fire
season. This is what he has wanted to do for a good 10 years of his
life since I took him to the scene of a small wildfire which broke out
not far from where we lived in the mountains years ago.
We
watched from a mile away as the air attack planes flew low over the fire
dousing the flames and the surrounding terrain with retardant. The boy
was wide eyed and intrigued over it all! An hour later once the flames
were knocked down, I drove him to the staging area, where the sight of
forestry rigs, fire apparatus and crews rolling on and off the line had
his full attention. We were fortunate enough that day while carefully,
as not to get in anyone’s way, strolled around the engines just checking
it all out. The Incident Commander must have seen the glow in the
boys’ eyes, as he approached my son and began to chat with him. The
next thing I knew, we were being walked down a trail with the commander,
and as we rounded the hillside into burned out brush and trees, our son
about fell over with envy and excitement. There, he witnessed a hand
crew hosing, sawing, shoveling and cleaning up hot spots. The leader of
the crew came over and took him right into the heart of it all,
smoldering hillside either side of him, and walked him through all of
the procedure the crew was tasking! This was what I would gauge as one
of the most definitive moments of our sons dream career!
It has
been tough for him here this year, as unseasonably cool temperatures
dominated the little springtime we get, and the summer has seen much
rain and little to no fire activity. He has watched from afar as crews
have heroically saved homes and property and battled to control the
wildfires currently burning in the lower 48. Now, he is ready to serve
and protect and put his training to the grind! As parents, this is one
of those moments we have to step back, understand that he is his own
person who has repeatedly shown that he is capable of handling himself
and anything that he takes on. We are proud of him and his
accomplishments and know that this is what he wants to do.
Worry.
It is only natural for parents to worry about their kids, especially
when they are going into harms way. Eight years ago, I was in a unique
situation, where a loved one was going into harms way. I was concerned
and worried sick about it and consoled myself by thinking he would be
fine. I mean, what are the odds?! Out of thousands of our countries
finest military men and women… I’ll never ask that question again,
because now I know first hand, ‘the odds’ are something not to be
questioned, ever, and I relive the pain of such every time I hear of
another family experiencing what ours did.
As we have awaited
an update, as of tonight, he has been reassigned and will now be
deployed into Utah, to assist with one of the many out of control blazes
there. As parents, we have to be confident that his training has put
him where he is at and if there was any thought that he was less than
capable, his Division Commander would not be sending him in. The rest
is in Gods hands now. This is the experience he needs to make him
capable of advancing within the ranks and again, what he has wanted to
do. The best of luck goes out to him and his crew, and to those waiting
for relief or those experiencing the hardship of such times, we are
sending you our best!
It’s times and moments like these, that
make us as parents proud of where our kids are going. It is also times
like this which should make us feel a great accomplishment as to the
parenting we have achieved. I once said to a friend older than I as
his son left the nest, “…you have spent 18 years instilling values,
morals and responsibility into him. Now, everything you have given and
taught him will be put to use as he goes out on his own and you can only
hope that it all works now for the best!” I just now received a text
from him that he is at Fort Wainwright up in Fairbanks, with 200 other
firefighters, just finished dinner and is going to be flown out of
Alaska on a military transport in the morning to head down to the lower
48.
Worried? I’m a parent! But then again, that is what consoles me and makes me proud.
For more info on this fire incident that he will be working, go to:
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/photographs/2956/
