Helping in our backyard

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jody L. Ritchie
  • 302nd Airlift Wing
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  There's no doubt flying combat missions in a C-130 is an exhilarating experience.
Aircrews from the 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. often fly tactical mountain missions preparing them for Global War on Terror missions in the mountains of the Middle East. But, once a year, a select few 302nd AW members get the opportunity to train for a unique mission few can claim on a resume. The enemy they fly against is a domestic one in our own backyard: wildland fires. 

C-130 "Hercs" have a well-deserved reputation of handling a wide variety of missions. One of the most challenging, on both aircraft and crew, are the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System missions where the aircraft must fly in crowded air space shrouded in smoke, slow to 150 knots, drop to 150 feet above the ground, follow the Earth's contours to maximize effectiveness, then drop 27,000 pounds of fire retardant in less than eight seconds. 

The mission takes training and skill - only the best crews are awarded the privilege of flying MAFFS missions. Once selected to participate in MAFFS, the daunting task of annual certification is next. An aircraft commander getting initial certification must endure 24 training missions consisting of 16 dry runs and 8 wet runs before being considered for a "live" mission. Seventy-plus 302nd AW members participated in the 2008 certification in early May at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif. 

The domestic enemy MAFFS crews train to battle is powerful and unpredictable. According to the National Interagency Fire Center's Web site, 85,822 wildland fires destroyed over 9.3 million acres of land in the United States in 2007. Anyone watching a national news broadcast on Oct 23rd saw images of multiple fires in southern California threatening hundreds of homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. When the firestorm was over, at least eight people lost their lives and 1,500 homes were destroyed. 

NIFC serves as the command center for the United States Forest Service's fire fighting operations. All fire fighting resources, ground and air, are coordinated through NIFC. When the civilian businesses provideing aerial fire fighting services to NIFC are tapped out, that's when the call for Department of Defense assistance is made. 

Four Air Reserve Component wings are ready to respond to such a call. The 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson AFB, Colo. is the only Air Force Reserve wing to fly the mission. Other MAFFS-capable units are three Air National Guard wings: the 145th AW, Charlotte, N.C.; the 146th AW, Port Hueneme, Calif.; and the 153rd AW, Cheyenne, Wyo. 

Despite the unpredictability and hazards of the mission, there's never a shortage of volunteers. When it's clear NIFC will turn to the MAFFS units, the 302nd AW usually gets more volunteers than are needed. "If there's a large fire, our Citizen Airmen proactively volunteer before the need is officially identified," said Lt. Col. David Condit, MAFFS program manager. "When NIFC calls to see if we can support their need, we usually don't have to call anyone because they've already called us." 

"Flying this mission goes against everything we are trained to do as pilots," said Col. Burton Chapman, vice commander. "We go low and slow - just above stall speed, but we get a lot of satisfaction from the mission, knowing we are helping." 

It is that desire to help that keeps the mission going, but the people flying the plane aren't the only skills needed. When flying in such adverse conditions, landing for only long enough to get more retardant and then heading back out to the next fire, the confidence in the aircraft to handle the load cannot be something on the minds of aircrew members. 

"We have the best people around maintaining our aircraft," said Col. James J. Muscatell, Jr., commander. "We know the aircraft is up to the challenge because of the caliber of people we have supporting us on the ground." 

The dedication to maintaining the aircraft has helped the MAFFS mission maintain a superb safety record. If the NIFC call comes during the 2008 fire season, the 302 AW will be ready to respond with some of the most competent air and maintenance crews the Air Force has to offer.