SCA Veterans Corps take on a tough job in Bighorn National Forest
During the summer the risk of wildfires rises, so a six-man crew is doing what it can to prevent that in the Bighorn National Forest.
“We take out the ladder fuels, the fuels that could potentially ignite and then catch the canopy of the forest on fire,” said crew leader Michael Madalena.
The entire crew is made up of military veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their skill set fits well with this type of work.
“A lot of it goes hand-in-hand with the radio lingo, how we operate as a team again, the ability to actually make a decision and go with it,” said Madalena.
The U.S. Forest Service is working with the Student Conservation Association to provide jobs for veterans returning form overseas and meet pressing conservation needs.
