British firefighters receive medals from Defence Fire Service top chief fire officer

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Chief Fire Officer Noel Roberts, the Defence Fire Service's highest ranking officer, paid a visit to RAF Mildenhall's fire station July 3 to present two British firefighters with medals. 

Leading Firefighter Lee Spencer was presented the Long Service and Good Conduct Medals for 20 years of service in the DFS, while Firefighter Jason French received the Gulf War Campaign Medal. Both men work at the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department alongside U.S. Air Force firefighters. 

Senior Divisional Officer John Simons, DFS Central Region Area Manager, and Assistant Divisional Officer Paul Williams, DFS Central Region Operations Manager, also attended the ceremony to show their support. Col. Jeffery Bateman, 100th Mission Support Group commander, and Lt. Col. Tom Svoboda, 100th CES commander, also attended the reception. 

Firefighter Jason French
Firefighter Jason French joined the RAF Mildenhall Fire and Rescue Service in April 1994. He was presented the Gulf War Campaign Medal for completing two tours in Iraq, Sept. 29 to Oct. 10, 2007, and Nov. 3 to Dec. 8, 2007. 

At the start of his first tour in Iraq, he and the other DFS firefighters spent a week in Basra getting the trucks ready and being fitted for their body armor. After that, he and the other firefighters were part of the port moves at Umm al-Qasr, where ships were loading and unloading all the supplies going into Basra from the United Kingdom. The firefighting team kept vigilant watch for any fires at the port that may have endangered the lives of the dock workers or damaged the munitions, trucks and vehicles, and other materiel being moved. 

"I was flown to Basra and we spent time at the airport there until the ships came into the port at Umm al-Qasr. Then we were flown there by helicopter to unload the ships," he said. 

"At the port, when we were in the fire truck, and we had armed personnel with us. As civilians, we aren't allowed to carry weapons," said Firefighter French. "We had armored vehicles surrounding us to secure the area and patrol." 

The civilian firefighter said he volunteered to go to Iraq for the experience, as it's not often civilian firefighters get the chance to deploy. He also had the opportunity to work with the locals, which he said he enjoyed. 

"Predominantly, our job involved working with all British forces, from the RAF to the (Royal) Army," he said. "We were part of the port task group assigned there, as there were munitions and dangerous cargo on board." 

Soon after finishing his first two-week tour, he returned to Iraq for another month because there were only a few days before the battalions changed over and more ships came in. As each battalion comes in, it brings its own supplies, and the leaving battalion takes its belongings back home. 

The DFS sent firefighters out to Basra to help with the port task force because RAF firefighters are primarily working in Afghanistan. Firefighter French said in addition to working on the port task force at Umm al-Qasr, he also did some shifts at the military base in Basra. 

Leading Firefighter Lee Spencer
LFF Lee Spencer received the Long Service and Good Conduct medals for 20 years service to the DFS. He joined at RAF West Drayton. Before that, he worked for National Air Traffic Services doing a clerical job, but decided he didn't like it. 

"I worked there for two years, two weeks and two days and hated it. So I decided to get out," he said. "At the time, the fire station was all RAF, but being civilianized, and our station officer started chatting to me about becoming a firefighter. 

"I ended up signing out of the official secrets act on the Friday, and re-signing it on Monday." 

LFF Spencer started his firefighting duties in October 1987. In January 2002, when the fire department at RAF West Drayton was closing, he was given the choice of unemployment or moving. He and his partner had just had their second child and needed a bigger house, so he said the move couldn't have come at a better time. 

"Station Officer Chris Rhodes was my SO there, and he interviewed me and found me a vacancy at RAF Mildenhall - but I had to ask him where it was, as I'd never heard of it! I almost never came here - when we first came to have a look at the area, it was a bit of a shock to the system after living in London," he said. "But Station Officer Rhodes told me, 'Well, we can put a burnt-out car outside your house, if it makes you feel more at home.'" 

The firefighter and his family moved to Bury St. Edmunds, where he became a retained firefighter. He has to provide them 120 hours of coverage a week attend to 65 percent of all calls. 

After being awarded his medal, he said it was nice to have it presented by the chief officer. 

"In my 20 years of being in the Ministry of Defence, I've only ever met one other chief officer. I think it reflects on the way the service is going - it's becoming more professional and chief officers are taking more of an interest in what's going on at the stations. That's a very good thing," he said.