A fiery Five Eyes relationship is sparked

The exercise, Southern Steel, took place at Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Base Auckland and the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Regional Training Centre at Mt Wellington recently. It involved more than 30 US Air Force Air National Guard Fire and Emergency Services Detachment personnel working on a number of firefighting training activities.

“RNZAF Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighter (ARFF) Fire Flights were invited to send representatives to observe and integrate with our US Air Force counterparts,” Flight Sergeant Hayden Bayliss said.

“It all started with a conversation between one of our deployed firefighters on Op Antarctica and a then US Air Force Air National Guard Staff Sergeant. Further talks between the two countries’ representatives at the Five Eyes Air Force Interoperability Council meetings, and other meetings, opened exercise planning over the next 12 months.”

Having the US Air Force Air National Guard deploy to New Zealand and train at Base Auckland was the “missing piece of the puzzle” as it was one of the Five Eyes countries the RNZAF ARFF trade had minimal prior engagement with, Flight Sergeant Bayliss said.

The aim for the team of firefighters from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Hawaii, was to practice the deployment of a US Air Force Air National Guard to the Pacific region. Included in the exercise was competency training in a deployed environment, conducting combined firefighting training with Five Eyes partners and fostering and building key partner emergency services relationships.

The training also involved mission readiness airmen training, aircraft familiarisation, ARFF training, vehicle stabilisation and rescue, HAZMAT, low and high angle rescue, and structural firefighting.

“The RNZAF’s people, systems and culture are widely valued by our allies and partner nations. Enhancing Air Force interoperability and interchangeability with the US Air Force Air National Guard by leveraging collective expertise is important to resolving many challenges and, as such, must be enduring,” Flight Sergeant Bayliss said. 

Making up the US Air Force Air National Guard contingent were two Security Forces personnel, who with support from Air Staff ARFF representatives and units at Base Auckland, were able to join their RNZAF counterparts in a live-firing exercise at Kaipara Air Weapons Range.

“It went beyond just firefighting. The scope of the training grew organically and we achieved some really good collaboration,” he said.

“We would like to express sincere gratitude to all contributing units and personnel in what was a successful joint international engagement between Five Eyes partners.”