Air Force Reserve unit deploys to fight California fires

  • Published
  • By Maj. James R. Wilson
  • 302nd Airlift Wing
PETERSON Air Force Base, Colo. --  The Air Force Reserve sent two of its designated firefighting C-130H3 aircraft to help battle the raging wildfires in Southern California.

The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, requested Department of Defense assistance in fighting the fires which put the wheels in motion for the deployment of about 30 reservists from Peterson AFB.

The aircraft arrived Oct. 23 at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, Calif., where they joined other military aircraft providing additional firefighting capabilities.

"The 302nd Airlift Wing has had this mission for roughly 15 years," said Capt. Brian McReynolds, a C-130 pilot and member of the Colorado Springs-based unit. "We have the right people and the safest equipment available for this mission. This is what we love to do."

The planes departed with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System in place. When loaded inside the cargo bay, MAFFS units convert the aircraft from a transporter to an aerial tanker capable of dispersing fire-retardant slurry to extinguish wildfires. The Airmen said they would begin flying missions in California early Oct. 24 if they could.

"We'll hit the ground right away," said Lt. Col. Dave Condit, the Air Force Reserve's MAFFS program coordinator at Peterson. "We may have to wait until the winds die down just a little bit. As soon as the winds permit us to get in close to the fire, [we'll start flying our missions]."

Crewmembers certified with the MAFFS equipment said their objective is not to put the fire out. Rather, they follow the lead of aviators from the U.S. Forest Service to lay lines of containment.

"We have a host of support specialists on the ground to help keep us flying," said the colonel. "It's sort of like a NASCAR pit stop. When we roll into the pits, we'll stop our engines. [The ground crew] will run up, refill the aircraft with fuel, slurry and compressed air, which we need to pump the retardant out. Then we'll get back in the air as quickly as we can."

The process for replenishing the aircraft can be performed in 8 to 12 minutes, according to officials from Peterson. It is repeated as often as necessary to sustain firefighting operations throughout each daylight hour.

All of the MAFFS equipped-flying units are currently in the Air Force's air reserve components --three in the Air National Guard and one in the Air Force Reserve. By law, MAFFS can only be activated when all other resources have been exhausted.

"We let the civilian tanker fleet take care of the issues first," said Colonel Condit. "If they need assistance, that's when the Department of Defense will roll in. We don't compete for business with civilian [aerial firefighting] companies. Usually if you see us taking off, you know the situation is pretty critical."

MAFFS crews are re-certified every year during a week-long training with Forest Service aviation and operations specialists.

The typical aerial firefighting mission is inherently dangerous, which is why the Air Force Reserve unit at Peterson only selects the most experienced aviators for the duty.

"We've got people that wait for years to get an opportunity to get certified for this mission," said the colonel. "The unit only takes the most experienced aircrew, and we go through a lot of training and preparation for this.

"Our target altitude is 150 feet above the ground, which is very low for an aircraft this size," he said. "It's a hazardous mission, but we train for it and we're [definitely] prepared. We have a long and proud history of supporting contingencies overseas, but it's always great to be able to support the United States in the United States."

Last year, the 302nd's MAFFS mission at Peterson was activated by the Forest Service to fight wildfires in the Pacific Northwest. The 302nd flew 18 sorties against fires in Idaho, Nevada and Oregon, dropping 48,600 gallons of retardant.

Media who wish to cover the event should contact the 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs Office at 719-556-4117 or 719-963-8894.