The United States Air Force Fire Protection career specialty is the military's premiere specialty in fire protection. Much like their civilian counterparts, these military firefighters protect people, property, and the environment from fires and disasters. They provide firefighting, specialized rescue, HazMat responses, as well as provide fire prevention and response to weapons of mass destruction. Though every branch has its own fire protection career specialties (USAF - 3E7X1, Army - 12M, USMC - 7051, Navy - AB), they all must graduate from the Air Force's 13.5 week fire academy in San Angelo, Texas before being awarded their Firefighter certification. History Prior to the National Security Act of 1947 and the subsequent splitting of the Air Corps from the US Army, fire protection in the Armed Forces finds its roots in the armies of the Civil War. Federal firefighting began when Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton issued an executive order to Mayor George Opdyke of New York in 1862 for fire protection assistance for the Federal Army. Mayor Opdyke selected Assistant Chief Engineer John Baulch of Eagle Engine Company No. 13, along with Mohawk Engine No. 16 and Peterson Engine No. 31 to provide service to the Federal Army, and they were shipped to Fortress Monroe. John Baulch was appointed Chief Engineer of the Fire Department of the Southern Division of the Federal Army. During WWI, the United States Army, under the Quartermaster Corps, provided two types of firefighting companies: Fire Truck and Hose Companies. Fire Marshalls of this era held the rank of 1st Lieutenant or Captain. Station Captains were typically manned by a Sergeant First Class. Just three days prior to the December 7th attacks on Pearl Harbor, the Army transferred the firefighting function from the Quartermaster Corps to the Corps of Engineers and were dubbed Engineer Firefighting Platoons (EFFPs). Engineer Aviation Firefighting Platoons (EAFFPs) were established to provide fire protection for the Army Air Forces. This is the beginnings of the USAF Fire Protection field The Air Force opened its first firefighting school at Lowry Air Force Base, which moved to Greenville AFB, MS, and, in 1964 to Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois. In 1992, the school was moved finally to Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo, Texas and was named the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, where it still trains firefighters from every branch of the Armed Forces. In the early days of