Team El S-4 Spc. Osvaldo Martinez, Sgt. Bernice Macias, Spc. John Green and Staff Sgt. Joshua Sekutera, all from the 163d Military Intelligence Battalion, move out in line with buckets at the ready in the Bucket Brigade competition, where teams must ...

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - The Joint Base Balad Fire Department held this year's second Fire Muster Aug. 9, at the H-6 recreation area here.

The Fire Muster consists of activities for both teams and individuals to compete against each other in events simulating firefighting tasks.

The muster showcases some of the job skills firefighters perform, said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Bernard, a JBB FD station chief.

The events are a competitive way for teams from different service branches to compete against each other while building camaraderie amongst themselves, he said.

"It's Sunday, it's 110 degrees and it's a day off," said Staff Sgt. Joshua Sekutara, leader of team El S-4 and a supply sergeant with the 163rd Military Intelligence Battalion. "It builds morale and it's a challenge, and we like challenges."

Almost 10,000 gallons of water were used during the events, said Bernard, for filling buckets, fueling hoses and adding to the overall realism.

The Drag and Carries event is a simulated victim movement, where teams have to buddy-carry each other and then team-lift a dummy.

In the Bucket Brigade event, teams must use buckets to throw water on a "burning" house.

The main event was the Fire Fighter Combat Challenge, which tests strength and physical endurance, said Bernard. Here, individuals must perform the same motions and actions a fire fighter would when responding to a major fire emergency, all while wearing body armor and a helmet, said Bernard.

Approximately 30 teams participated in the Fire Muster, with all branches represented, said Bernard.

The turnout was good and the participation from the service members was motivating, he said.