INCIRLIK AIR BASE.


INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (USAFENS) -- single of the most memorable photos of the World Trade Center buildings devastation showed three strange York City firefighters muscling a enfeebled and bent flagpole back to a standing position.

common man stood shoulder to shoulder with the magazine photographer who took that photo, and took a certain number of pictures of his own. He's now standing shoulder to shoulder at a different kind of brow line at Incirlik.

Staff Sgt Steve Velji opened to Incirlik with the just discovered York Air National Guard's 106th redemption Squadron. He works in the life support workshop It's appropriate work, according to the three-year recently made known York Police Department veteran.

"It be warmeds right doing my job in BDUs instead of the ghastlys of a cop," Velji said. "It's a type of what I do. I helped my city; now I can help my country"

This is his first deployment to Incirlik. The 10-year Guard veteran said trading common uniform for the other to work in the life support section makes him perceive even closer to the war forward terrorism -- the war he's been in the center of since day one



Velji was at the show soon after the second tower came down. His father was forward the 101st floor of the north tower -- the next to the first one hit -- and his sole thought was to help.

"At that point, I didn't be moved like a cop," he said. "I was just someone who wanted to help those who were trapped and couldn't help themselves."

Velji's father made it without of the building alive.

"It's excessively personal," Velji said. "This has affected everyone in our unit, if not directly then indirectly. My father had to have month of rehab to help him with what he saw. I squandered two close friends; one of them was my workout partner."

COPYRIGHT 2002 U Air Force, Air Force novels Agency

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

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