The Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Marines here are dedicated to performing some of the more rigorous duties on the air station. From operating, servicing, inspecting and testing aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles to committing themselves to being the response force at all times for any accident with all aircraft here.
Each air station needs an ARFF crew to respond to aircraft accidents that may occur, and out of the whole III Marine Expeditionary Force, there are only three women ARFF Marines.
The duties and responsibilities of one of these Marines is shared to honor Women’s History month.
With two of the three women Marines currently on deployment, Cpl. Lorraine A. Virgilio, ARFF crew chief, carries on her day-to-day responsibilities as the only woman Marine currently providing ARFF support to the air station.
Virgilio, native of Queens, N.Y., enlisted into the Marine Corps in December 2007. She joined to serve for her fallen uncle, a New York firefighter, who lost his life at the World Trade Center during the attacks of Sept. 11 2001.
“My uncle was killed in 9-11; he was a firefighter,” said Virgilio.
“I couldn’t go infantry, so I chose the next best thing, which was crash fire rescue.” Infantry was the original job Virgilio wanted, but since the occupation is not available to women, her two older brothers, who are both Marine Corps infantry Marines, recommended the ARFF field.
With a shop total of about 30 Marines, the station’s ARFF crew is home to the only three women ARFF Marines in III MEF.
Lance Cpl. Cyndi C. Henn and Lance Cpl. Olivia N. Childers, ARFF ride crew members and two of the three ARFF women Marines here, are currently deployed to South Korea in support of exercise Foal Eagle. Although Virgilio is the only ARFF woman Marine currently on the air station, the Marines in her unit expect the same performance from her as any other ARFF Marine.
“We’re just as hard on her as we are on any of the other Marines,” said Cpl. Andre Park, ARFF crew member here.
Not only does Virgilio have to deal with the daily responsibilities of an ARFF Marine, but as a corporal, she has to lead and be an example to the Marines in her unit.
Park said Virgilio does her job just as well as the rest of the Marines in the shop and her exceptional performance as a Marine is the only thing that matters to the other ARFF Marines.
“It’s like a family,” said Virgilio. “They treat me the same way they treat everyone else.”
Along with the many responsibilities of working for ARFF and leading her Marines as a crew chief, Virgilio said that she enjoys many of the things that she gets to do as an ARFF Marine.
“We get to do live fires, drive fire trucks, and work with multimillion dollar aircraft, so it’s pretty fun,” said Virgilio.
The dedication and commitment Virgilio shows in her everyday duties may lead one to believe that she will turn ARFF into a career, but Virgilio already has alternative plans for her future.
“I’m getting out after my four years, and I’m going to go to law school to finish my degree,” said Virgilio.
Although Virgilio plans on getting out of the Marine Corps after her four-year contract, the skills she’s gained in ARFF will not be a waste.
Virgilio said if she ever decides to be a part of the Fire Department of New York, the training she’s experienced through ARFF will give her an advantage in the FDNY or any fire department.
Being one of three ARFF females in the whole III MEF, Virgilio’s Marines said she is an exceptional Marine. The fact that she’s a woman makes no difference to the ARFF Marines; she’s just an ARFF Marine like the rest of them.