An entire rescue crew made up of New York City firefighters in Afghanistan

NY Firefighters Deploy Together
Dec 05, 2012
Air Force News
by Master Sgt. Russell Martin
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan

Four New York City firefighters, four Airmen, four friends, one team, one HH-60 Pave Hawk -- one crew -- deployed together with the 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, bringing a unique flavor of New York Fire Departments with them.

Capt. Shaun Cullen, Capt. Tripp Zanetis, Tech. Sgt. Erick Pound and Tech. Sgt. Jim Denniston are all members of the 101st Rescue Squadron, New York Air National Guard, and they are all firefighters when not activated. Cullen, the aircraft commander, is assigned to Engine 54, in Midtown Manhattan; Zanetis, the copilot, is assigned to Ladder 11 in Lower East Manhattan; Pound, the aerial gunner, is assigned to Engine 58 in Harlem; and Denniston, the flight engineer, is assigned to Engine 285 in Queens. Back home, they're all from a different "ladder" and a different "engine" designation, but at Camp Bastion they share one, Pedro 24.

"This is a first," said Zanetis. "An entire rescue crew made up of New York City firefighters. We may have different jobs to do, but we all know what each other are capable of and what to expect when we fly together."
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