 USS Denver's Aircraft Firefighting Team and two of their premier hot suitmen recently participated in the Coastal Shipboard Firefighting Trainer. Basically, we just did a basic firefighting, entering and exiting the aircraft, rescuing personnel. Their main job is to remain calm, cool and collected, but that's not always easy in the face of danger. It was hot. It was the flames underneath you and you're just trying to stay cool and not breathe out your whole SCBA pack and you hope that your teammates don't splash you with the hose because you'll steam up, get overheated, so that was a big concern today. Being this close to the fire was a first for Crosby. No aircraft fires yet, only this trainer. It was exciting. It was, you know, adrenaline's running, you just want to just get it done, you're sweating, you're trying to just stay focused, but overall it's a good time. I enjoy this school. Crosby's fire buddy, pity officer Joshua Carey, is not new to fighting fire. Before I was Navy, I was a crash and rescue for six years on a local fire department and pretty much do the same thing that I do right now. He's no stranger to danger. He said the key is to focus. That's pretty warm. It gets a little nerve-wracking. You just got to clear your mind. You just got to know what your main focus is. You know, like the first time going in, you have to get the casualties out of the aircraft. You can't focus on it. You have to focus on the task at hand. At the end of the day, every member knows that firefighting is a team effort and that the team is only as strong as its weakest link. Petty Officer Adrian White, your Coastal Naval Base, Japan.