1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:04,599 --> 00:00:07,320 So I'm a pilot , uh , C-130 tactical 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,376 airlift pilot for the 302 Operations 4 00:00:09,376 --> 00:00:11,600 Group , um , fully qualified and 5 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:13,711 perform global combat missions , uh , 6 00:00:13,711 --> 00:00:15,960 doing tactical airlift , delivering 7 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,182 troops and supplies , uh , all over the 8 00:00:18,182 --> 00:00:21,149 world in combat zones . And we also uh 9 00:00:21,149 --> 00:00:23,149 take those same aircraft , the same 10 00:00:23,149 --> 00:00:25,205 crew members , uh , folks like uh me 11 00:00:25,205 --> 00:00:27,316 and our crews that are out here . And 12 00:00:27,316 --> 00:00:28,816 we also train in a special 13 00:00:28,816 --> 00:00:31,149 certification to be aerial firefighters . 14 00:00:31,149 --> 00:00:33,093 We convert our combat , uh , rated 15 00:00:33,093 --> 00:00:35,349 C-130s into air tankers for uh modular 16 00:00:35,349 --> 00:00:38,270 systems called MAPS . We operate as a 17 00:00:38,270 --> 00:00:41,729 supplemental force for Tankers , 18 00:00:41,810 --> 00:00:43,977 airplanes that are on private contract 19 00:00:43,977 --> 00:00:46,200 at a private industry nationwide , um , 20 00:00:46,250 --> 00:00:49,439 when those tankers become stretched out 21 00:00:49,439 --> 00:00:51,717 too much , when they're over committed , 22 00:00:51,717 --> 00:00:53,883 there's not enough to meet the need of 23 00:00:53,883 --> 00:00:55,828 the fire situations . The National 24 00:00:55,828 --> 00:00:57,939 Interagency Fire Center can reach out 25 00:00:57,939 --> 00:00:59,883 to the . Department of Defense and 26 00:00:59,883 --> 00:01:01,995 request assistance from the Air Force 27 00:01:01,995 --> 00:01:03,828 and a myriad of other uh service 28 00:01:03,828 --> 00:01:05,939 partners um when they need air tanker 29 00:01:05,939 --> 00:01:07,939 support they reach down to the four 30 00:01:07,939 --> 00:01:09,883 wings that do the mission that are 31 00:01:09,883 --> 00:01:12,050 certified in mass that's us in the 302 32 00:01:12,050 --> 00:01:13,883 Ali wing , the only uh Air Force 33 00:01:13,883 --> 00:01:16,690 reserve command unit to do so . Flying 34 00:01:16,690 --> 00:01:18,857 low is slow is a very , uh , risky and 35 00:01:18,857 --> 00:01:20,968 dangerous , especially when you're at 36 00:01:20,968 --> 00:01:24,129 155,000 pounds , um , we fly as . 37 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:29,319 As low as 120 ft 150 ft , uh , as low 38 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:32,559 as 120 knots over mountainous terrains 39 00:01:32,559 --> 00:01:35,919 and uh and over fire . So , um , and 40 00:01:35,919 --> 00:01:38,141 sometimes the visibility gets bad too , 41 00:01:38,141 --> 00:01:40,086 and , um . That's where the flight 42 00:01:40,086 --> 00:01:42,086 engineers are supposed to be on the 43 00:01:42,086 --> 00:01:44,252 instruments back in the pilots up that 44 00:01:44,252 --> 00:01:46,419 are looking outside , making sure that 45 00:01:46,419 --> 00:01:48,641 we don't hit anything . Well , I mean , 46 00:01:48,641 --> 00:01:50,752 to start off , it is important , very 47 00:01:50,752 --> 00:01:52,975 important , you know , uh , I mean look 48 00:01:52,975 --> 00:01:55,086 at what's going on in Los Angeles and 49 00:01:55,086 --> 00:01:57,086 we're here to do anything we can to 50 00:01:57,086 --> 00:01:59,809 help that situation . But really and 51 00:01:59,809 --> 00:02:02,930 truly , uh , leave my family to do 52 00:02:02,930 --> 00:02:05,800 something like this , uh . You know , 53 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:08,212 they're really proud of the fact that I , 54 00:02:08,399 --> 00:02:11,399 I had the opportunity to do port 55 00:02:11,399 --> 00:02:13,990 mission like this . Truthfully , it's , 56 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,104 they're pretty used to it . I'm an 57 00:02:16,104 --> 00:02:18,460 pilot . I'm gone all the time . You 58 00:02:18,470 --> 00:02:21,869 know , 2 or 3 times a month , I leave . 59 00:02:22,229 --> 00:02:24,451 This is in addition , you know , like . 60 00:02:25,089 --> 00:02:27,940 But they totally support what we do out 61 00:02:27,940 --> 00:02:30,580 here . AFRC , the reserve component , 62 00:02:30,589 --> 00:02:33,389 has a significant amount of experience 63 00:02:33,389 --> 00:02:36,139 in tactical airlift , especially . Um , 64 00:02:36,190 --> 00:02:38,190 our crews typically tend to be more 65 00:02:38,190 --> 00:02:40,468 experienced , um , higher ranking , uh , 66 00:02:40,630 --> 00:02:43,380 more hours , more breadth of experience 67 00:02:43,509 --> 00:02:45,620 over a longer period of time than the 68 00:02:45,620 --> 00:02:47,787 active component , and we tend to stay 69 00:02:47,787 --> 00:02:50,065 in one place . So for me as an example , 70 00:02:50,070 --> 00:02:51,949 I processed the 7:30 1st as a 71 00:02:51,949 --> 00:02:54,820 lieutenant in November of 2001 . And I 72 00:02:54,820 --> 00:02:57,309 started this mission in 2006 , so I'm 73 00:02:57,309 --> 00:02:59,550 in my 19th year of doing it . Something 74 00:02:59,550 --> 00:03:01,606 like this we don't do frequently and 75 00:03:01,606 --> 00:03:03,869 it's a totally different mission set 76 00:03:04,149 --> 00:03:06,205 than what we do when we're doing our 77 00:03:06,205 --> 00:03:08,371 tactical airlift mission in combat . I 78 00:03:08,371 --> 00:03:10,260 was a load master before I got my 79 00:03:10,260 --> 00:03:12,482 nursing degree , and I liked it so much 80 00:03:12,482 --> 00:03:15,029 that I chose to continue . I'm a 81 00:03:15,029 --> 00:03:17,509 surgical nurse , so I prepare you for 82 00:03:17,509 --> 00:03:20,789 surgery . All the paperwork , um , 83 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,580 starting your IV , getting you ready . 84 00:03:24,270 --> 00:03:26,437 I'm the calming presence before you go 85 00:03:26,437 --> 00:03:28,603 in and then when you come back out , I 86 00:03:28,603 --> 00:03:30,603 will take care of you and make sure 87 00:03:30,603 --> 00:03:32,937 there are no complications post surgery . 88 00:03:32,937 --> 00:03:34,714 The mass mission is excellent . 89 00:03:34,714 --> 00:03:36,826 Sometimes in our jobs we don't always 90 00:03:36,826 --> 00:03:38,826 see the direct impact we have , and 91 00:03:38,826 --> 00:03:40,826 that's not true for maths . It is a 92 00:03:40,826 --> 00:03:43,320 very worthwhile mission , one that we 93 00:03:43,929 --> 00:03:47,210 see a direct impact from , um , and it 94 00:03:47,210 --> 00:03:49,210 makes it very close to our hearts . 95 00:03:49,210 --> 00:03:53,100 Well , I tell you what . It's like I 96 00:03:53,100 --> 00:03:55,539 said , it's , it's important and it's 97 00:03:55,539 --> 00:03:58,250 fun . We enjoy , we enjoy what we do . 98 00:03:58,779 --> 00:04:01,259 We get to , I get to work with a great 99 00:04:01,259 --> 00:04:03,860 group of people , my whole crew , these 100 00:04:03,860 --> 00:04:06,050 are some of my favorite people and 101 00:04:06,740 --> 00:04:09,729 spending time with them and , you know , 102 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:14,100 being able to help out , potentially 103 00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:17,570 saving homes , you know , from fires . 104 00:04:19,260 --> 00:04:21,371 It's important and we , we , we enjoy 105 00:04:21,371 --> 00:04:21,959 doing it .