Army Reserve Spc. Everad Lewis said he's always dreamed about
being a firefighter. Serving in Iraq, he noted, has allowed "me to serve my
country, and to be the man I needed to be and was supposed to
be."
(Click photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available.
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A resident of Tacoma, Wash., Lewis is assigned to the 475th Engineer Detachment
(Firefighting), from Creston, Iowa.
Lewis and Siekawitch were both assigned to the 907th Engineer Detachment in
Yakima, Wash., before being individually mobilized and reassigned to the 475th
here. Both see firefighting careers ahead of them once their service here is
complete.
"I'm here for the experience," Siekawitch said. "On this deployment I'm getting
experience from the firefighting side that should help me get a job. It's also
going to get me more respect in my life."
Lewis said he joined the Army Reserve to help his family and to serve and
protect his country. "I started late in the military. I was 26 when I enlisted,
but better late than never," he added.
The soldier said his family was "in denial" about his deploying to Iraq, but he
knew he had to go. "I felt it in my heart," he said. "And I felt it was time
for me to serve my country, and to be the man I needed to be and was supposed
to be."
A full-time student, Siekawitch said his long-term goal was to be a
firefighter, and the Army Reserve helped him realize that goal.
So far, he said, life in Iraq isn't quite what he expected. "I thought I was
going to be dropped in the middle of a hot (landing zone) getting fired at and
ducking for cover, but once I got here, I settled in. It's a little different
being a firefighter," Siekawitch said.
The 475th is one of the elements of Logistics Support Area Anaconda's Emergency
Response Center here, which includes fire, military police, ordnance and
medical assets. LSA Anaconda is host to some 23,000 U.S. and coalition service
members and civilian contractors. The emergency-response soldiers respond to
various emergencies every day.
"It's very hot here, so there are heat casualties. There are a lot of
electrical problems (that cause fires), too. The buildings are concrete, so
they hold up pretty well, but the tents are soaked in kerosene to waterproof
them and help keep the insects away," Lewis said. "They can go up in about 30
seconds. We've had a couple go down."
Siekawitch said the unit responds to a lot of trash bin fires and assists on
medical calls. "Then there are the mortar attacks," he added.
Mortar attacks are common here. While most are random and cause little damage,
some have been deadly. In June, a mortar attack on the post exchange killed two
soldiers and wounded more than a dozen others.
"I came pretty close to an incoming round," said Siekawitch. "I was getting in
my Humvee and heard a round go off. We saw the explosion about 100 meters away.
It was pretty crazy. It was a lucky day, because if I would have left a minute
earlier the round could have been right on the Humvee. So, God was looking out
for me."
He said it's hard to explain what it's like in Iraq to his family and friends
back home. "You don't know unless you've been over here. What you see on the
news isn't exactly the truth," he said. "The news makes things a lot worse than
what we're getting here."
But, he added, "We sure appreciate all the support from the States."
Siekawitch said his tour of duty has been a long journey so far, and he's
looking forward to going home. But in the meantime, he said, he's proud to be
serving among skilled and honorable fellow soldiers.
"We've come together as a team," he said. "And that makes things a lot easier."
And as far as working in air that's superheated by the sun to temperatures
hovering around 125 degrees every day, Lewis is OK with it.
"It's cool," Lewis said. "I'm working as a firefighter."
(Army Master Sgt. Jack Gordon is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Public
Affairs Acquisition Team.)
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