An apartment building on fire in Ukraine on July 16. Soldiers with the Oklahoma Army National Guard deployed to Ukraine rushed into the building and evacuated the third floor before firefighters arrived. [Photo by 1st Lt. Kayla Christopher]

LVIV, UKRAINE — During a routine morale, welfare and recreation trip, deployed citizen-soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, found themselves in a situation that put their military and civilian training to good use.

"We were about to head back to base when we saw smoke coming from down the street, so we decided to investigate," said Sgt. Matthew Odom, of Norman, who is assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th IBCT.

An apartment building had caught fire.

Odom, along with fellow Thunderbirds Sgt. Nelson Deese, Spc. Vincent Humerickhouse, Spc. Kellar Jackson, Spc. Aaron Moore and Pfc. Kevin Polk, rushed into the burning building and evacuated the third floor before firefighters arrived on the scene.