WILDFIRE SUPPORT CONTINUES FROM DOD

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Right:  A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter drops water from a Bambi bucket onto wildfires near the Chiwaukum Creek and Carlton Complex wildfires near Leavenworth, Wash., July 31, 2014. Washington National Guard photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dave Goodhue 

DOD Continues Support to Wildfire Battle
From a U.S. Northern Command News Release

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Aug. 4, 2014 – Two Defense Department C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and under the command and control of U.S. Northern Command are assisting with wildfire suppression efforts in the Northwest, the Great Basin, and elsewhere in the West at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

Since July 20, 2014, DoD aircraft have conducted 65 airdrops and have discharged more than 114,300 gallons of fire retardant.

In the last 24 hours, crews have conducted two airdrops and discharged about 3,000 gallons of retardant at the Hard Creek fire in Idaho, four airdrops discharging about 9,000 gallons of retardant at the Thompson River fire in Montana, and four airdrops discharging about 3,000 gallons of retardant at the Warland fire in Montana, officials said.

The supporting unit flying the MAFFS mission is the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing, based in Cheyenne.

Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft assigned to units in California, Colorado, North Carolina and Wyoming are capable of dropping fire retardant using U.S. Forest Service MAFFS units, officials said. Aircrews, maintenance crews and support personnel undergo special National Interagency Fire Center training and certification to perform these missions each year, they added.

U.S. Northern Command, established in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, is responsible for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities.

TWO MILLION GALLONS OF RETARDANT DROPPED FOR FIRE SEASON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEA Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130 drops retardant on a section of the Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., June 26, 2012. Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard MAFFS-equipped C-130s have exceeded 2 million gallons of fire retardant dropped during the 2012 wildfire season. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher

 C-130 Firefighting Effort Reaches Milestone

By Ann Skarban
302nd Airlift Wing
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Aug. 28, 2012 - Defense Department Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130s reached a major mission milestone Aug. 24 by dropping the 2 millionth gallon of retardant for the season.

MAFFS 5, assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing here, dropped the record-breaking gallon during its third sortie of the day battling the Halstead fire north of Stanley, Idaho.

The same day, the 1 Wyoming Air National Guard's 53rd Airlift Wing also provided aerial firefighting support to the Halstead fire, and additional MAFFS-equipped C-130s flew in support of firefighting efforts in California and Oregon.

Leaders of the 153rd Air Expeditionary Group in Boise, Idaho, said this season has become the third-highest in MAFFS history for gallons dropped, surpassed only by 1994 and 2000, when about 5 million gallons and 2.1 million gallons, respectively, were dropped.

"This has been an extremely challenging year, with several large fires and severe drought conditions," said Air Force Col. Jerry Champlin, 153rd Air Expeditionary Group commander. "Our MAFFS aircrews and aircraft maintainers have been working long hours every day to help with the initial attack and suppression of several wildland fires throughout the Western region of the country."

MAFFS-equipped C-130s have been activated since June 25, when they were requested by the U.S. Forest Service for assistance in the Rocky Mountain area. Their first missions included fire suppression support for the costliest fire in Colorado's history.

Throughout the 2012 season, MAFFS C-130s have been flying out of a number of tanker base locations, moving MAFFS operations closer to the fires as needed. Tanker bases in 2012 included locations in Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, California, Montana and Oregon.

This year, MAFFS has supported firefighting efforts in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

"The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve MAFFS aircrews and support personnel have been extremely flexible, responding to short-notice changes to the MAFFS mission including tanker base relocations throughout this year," Champlin said. Through Aug. 27, the MAFFS fleet had released more than 2,152,603 gallons of fire retardant during 899 drops on fires in 10 states.

MAFFS is a joint DOD and U.S. Forest Service program designed to provide additional aerial firefighting resources when commercial and private air tankers are no longer able to meet the needs of the forest service. The system can discharge 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long by 100 feet wide. Once the load is discharged, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes.

The MAFFS-equipped C-130s are operated by four military units: the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard; 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard; 145th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard; and the 302nd Airlift Wing, U.S. Air Force Reserve Command.

This is the first year since 2008 that all four MAFFS wings have been activated simultaneously, officials said.

C-130 AIRCRAFT CREWS CONTINUE FIGHTING FIRES

Photo:  Colorado Wildfire.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Military C-130 Crews Continue Firefighting Efforts

Compiled from U.S. Northern Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, July 5, 2012 - In 123 airdrop missions since they were called into action to battle fires in the Rocky Mountain region and other western locales, Defense Department C-130s equipped with the U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System had discharged more than 320,000 gallons of retardant as of early today, U.S. Northern Command officials reported.

The aircraft are under Northcom's command and control and are participating in the firefighting effort at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

C-130 efforts yesterday centered on the Squirrel Creek Fire, three miles west of Woods Landing, Wyo., officials said, discharging about 50,600 gallons of retardant during 18 missions flown in a 15-hour span.

On July 3, crews flew 16 airdrop missions over 22 hours, discharging about 41,250 gallons of retardant.

MORE AIRCRAFT SENT TO FIGHT WILDFIRES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130 aircraft from the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing based at Channel Islands, arrives at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colo., June 30, 2012. The 146th's C-130 is one of four MAFFS-equipped aircraft joining four other military aircraft already operating out of Peterson to conduct wildfire suppression missions in Colorado and other western states. The eight aircraft constitute the entire U.S. military MAFFS-equipped fleet. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher  

More Aircraft Arrive to Combat Western Wildfires
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2012 - Eight Department of Defense C-130 aircraft equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems now are assisting in multi-agency efforts to control wildfires in Colorado and other western states, according to a U.S. Northern Command news release update issued today.

Four of these MAFFS-equipped aircraft arrived yesterday at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., joining four other aircraft there that have been flying wildfire suppression missions in the Rocky Mountain region, the Northcom release said.

The National Interagency Fire Center based in Boise, Idaho, requested the aircraft support from the Defense Department, according to the release.

The eight aircraft are under Northcom command and control and all, at present, are being based at Peterson, which is in Colorado Springs, according to the release.
Northcom, based at Peterson, partners with other agencies to conduct homeland defense, civil support and security cooperation to defend and secure the United States and its interests.

Military units now supporting C-130 aircraft wildfire suppression missions flown from Peterson are: the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing, based at Peterson; the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing, from Cheyenne; the North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing, from Charlotte; and the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, from Channel Islands.

As of early today, DOD aircraft have conducted 73 air drops and discharged more than 190,000 gallons of flame retardant during wildfire suppression missions in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota, the Northcom release said.

POLISH AIR FORCE TAKES PART IN RED FLAG ALASKA

A Polish air force C-130 Hercules sits on the flight line during Red Flag-Alaska on Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 13, 2012. A member of the Polish air force C-130 Hercules crew guides the aircraft to begin to taxi to the runway during Red Flag-Alaska on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, June 13, 2012. The goal of Red Flag-Alaska is to provide each aircrew with vital first missions to increase their chances of survival in combat environments. Photo From:  U.S. Force Web Site.

A Polish air force C-130 Hercules takes off during Red Flag-Alaska on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson June 13, 2012. A member of the Polish Air Force C-130 Hercules crew guides the aircraft to begin to taxi to the runway during Red Flag-Alaska on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson June 13, 2012. The goal of Red Flag-Alaska is to provide each aircrew with vital first missions to increase their chances of survival in combat environments. Photo From:  U.S. Force Web Site,

A member of the Polish Air Force C-130 Hercules crew guides the aircraft to begin to taxi to the runway during Red Flag-Alaska on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson June 13, 2012. The goal of Red Flag-Alaska is to provide each aircrew with vital first missions to increase their chances of survival in combat environments. Photo From:  U.S. Force Web Site.