Southwest Conservation Corps Finds Veterans Serving in New Line of Fire
Sarah Castaneda served with the 82nd Airborne as a combat medic. Now she and the four other Iraq War veterans are training through the combined efforts of the Veterans Green Corps and the Southwest Conservation Corps to do fire mitigation and fight wildland fires. The group is currently finding its legs on the flanks of Animas Mountain, where they are learning the ropes of wildfire mitigation and firefighting techniques. “It’s been a life-changing experience,” said Mike Bremer who was with the Army Infantry. “At fire camp, the training was incredible, and we’ve had great instructors. Everything has been so thorough.” The program is set to a natural progression. The crew comes together for classroom work, where they learn the science behind fire mitigation and fire fighting. Then they head to fire camp in Salida to get hands-on training with tools they’d use on a fire line. When the crews return, they begin doing fire mitigation, cutting out unhealthy trees or undergrowth that would readily feed a forest fire, and they slowly begin to integrate with an experienced fire fighting crew. At this point, the crew has met all requirements to earn their Red Cards, which certifies they are qualified to be wildland firefighters. Read more in the Durango Telegraph.
