Base firefighters awarded achievement medals for combating Wildcat Fire Published May 20, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Jessica Keith 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas-- -- Fifty-four of more than 70 base firefighters received achievement medals May 18 in recognition of their help in putting out the Wildcat Fire, the rest were unable to attend the ceremony. Congressman Mike Conaway, the U.S. representative of the 11th District of Texas, and Col. Thomas Geary, 17th Training Wing Commander, presented the medals to show appreciation for the firefighters' hard-work. On April 11, the fire was ignited by a lightning strike in nearby Coke County. It started as a 66 acre blaze and within 24 hours, community firefighters thought they had 60 percent of it contained. However, it jumped containment lines and quickly grew. Despite the efforts of community ground crews, air tankers and helicopters dropping flame retardant, by Thursday night the fire threatened San Angelo and the surrounding communities. Four days after the fire was ignited, Goodfellow received the request for mutual aid and immediately committed as many personnel and base assets as possible. The blaze, which consumed nearly 160,000 acres surrounding Coke County, Tom Green County and San Angelo, took almost two weeks to extinguish despite the combined efforts of Goodfellow and the community. Winds in excess of 50 miles per hour and persistent drought contributed to the massive size of the fire, which only consumed one home. Thanks in part to the efforts of base firefighters the blaze was prevented from reaching the nearby city of Grape Creek where it would have destroyed more than 400 homes, some of which belong to base personnel. John Manera, the Assistant Fire Chief here, said they also contributed by preventing the fire from jumping across some of the highways, thereby helping keep it contained. Congressman Conaway extended his gratitude and thanks on behalf of the community. "Thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with your Texas friends," he said. "Those in Coke and Tom Green County will forever appreciate what you did and what others did in defense of their homes and properties." Colonel Geary said it was only right for Goodfellow to give support to the community because it supports us. "I knew we had to help protect our community," said Colonel Geary. "It was the right thing to do."
