Three Merrimack Fire Fighters Deployed to Afghanistan

From left: Jason Marsella, Dan Newman and Mike Kiernan.

June 14, 2010 -- The snow doesn’t stop coming down in Merrimack, New Hampshire, when a few fire fighters go to serve their country in Afghanistan.

That’s why members of Merrimack, NH Local 2904 made it a mission to keep the driveways of fire fighters Daniel Newman, Michael Kiernan and Jason Marsella well salted and plowed throughout the long winter of 2010.

The three fire fighters deployed to Afghanistan in December to begin what is likely to be a grueling 13-month tour in the Zormat theater near the Afghan-Pakistan border. They are all on the same Charlie Company 3172 Mountain out of the New Hampshire National Guard. Kiernan is a staff sergeant, Marsella is a sergeant and Newman serves as captain.

Back home, Kiernan is a fire fighter/EMT-B, Marsella is a lieutenant/EMT-B and Newman is fire fighter EMT-I.

The men can’t offer details of their mission in any of the steady correspondence with the members of Local 2904 back home. But it’s clear that they are engaged in a lot of fire fights – the kind with guns and mortars, not hoses and ladders.

But according to Local 2904 Vice President Mark Bickford, the fire fighters’ on-the-job training has certainly prepared them well for the rigors of combat.

“Fire fighters are always taught to be on their toes, think quickly and solve problems. In a fire, the situation can change in a blink of an eye. From what I understand, that is serving them well over there,” he says.

Their Local 2904 buddies are doing all they can to stay in touch, detailing the three on the latest news around the firehouse and around town and sending regular care packages.

To keep the three close to heart and mind, Bickford says the local is displaying an American Flag with three white stars representing the three men deployed. Fire fighters also wear uniform pins with the same flag.

Beyond shoveling snow and sending care packages, the fire fighters back home have pitched in to hire a landscaper to trim their yards. In addition, Local 2904 members do a little second-string dad duty taking some of their children out for snowboarding and – now that it’s warmer – trips to the beach.