Wildfire Response

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National Guard Members Continue LA Wildfire Response
January 21, 2025 — LOS ANGELES – U.S. Army Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez watched from a cross street as sporadic traffic... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce Carter, an infantryman with C Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, sharpens the blade of a hoe to clear brush and other debris as part of remediation efforts along the Mulholland Trail near Tarzana, California, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 18, 2025. Carter and other members of his unit were assisting CALFIRE in mop-up efforts, which included clearing brush and backfilling firebreaks and other areas to prevent mudslides and reduce the impact of firefighting efforts.

California Guardsman Helps Battle Wildfires in His Community
January 16, 2025 — CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. - Amid the wildfire crisis in California, an Air... MORE

Master Sgt. Alan Franklin, a commander's support Airman with the 146th Airlift Wing, speaks to 1st Lt. Aiden Flores about the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System mission on the flightline at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Port Hueneme, California, Jan. 13, 2025. MAFFS aircraft from the Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming, the 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nevada, the 146th Airlift Wing, Port Hueneme, California, and Air Force Reserve Command’s 302 AW, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, are working together to combat fires in the Los Angeles area.

National Guard Bureau Chief Thanks Firefighting Guardsmen
January 14, 2025 — CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. – The National Guard is part of a multi-agency... MORE

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, and Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, visit National Guard members supporting wildland firefighting in Southern California, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif., Jan. 11, 2025. Thousands of National Guardsmen are involved in multiple air and ground firefighting in the Los Angeles Basin and Southern California.

Wyoming, Nevada Guard Aircrews Assist California Firefighters
January 13, 2025 — CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Three Wyoming Air National Guard C-130s equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 153rd Airlift Wing load and install the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems onto a C-130H Hercules aircraft in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Jan. 10, 2025, in preparation to support firefighting efforts in the Los Angeles area.

California, Nevada, Wyoming Guard Join Firefighting Battle
January 10, 2025 — MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. - Hundreds of National Guard members are now involved in... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airmen with the 129th Rescue Wing, California Air National Guard, at Moffett Air National Guard Base, Calif., prepare an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter to help battle the Palisades Fire Jan. 9, 2025.

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Video by Jared Eastman, Joseph Bara, Justin Campfield

Winter Route Planning Algorithm

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center

May 30, 2025 | 2:20

The U.S. Army is taking a significant step forward in cold-weather operations with the initial rollout and testing of a groundbreaking new capability designed to optimize routes for vehicles traveling in challenging winter terrain. Developed by ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), the Winter Route Planning (WRP) algorithm promises to dramatically reduce the risk of vehicle immobilization and increase overall efficiency when routing soldiers to desired target locations. The WRP algorithm isn’t just about finding the shortest distance between two points. It intelligently analyzes a complex array of factors – including detailed terrain data, current snowpack conditions, and the specific characteristics of the vehicle being used – to generate the optimal route. This optimal route can be based on time to target, fuel efficiency, on-road, off-road, a combination of both on and off-road along with other parameters. This means a path designed to minimize the chance of getting stuck, bogged down, or otherwise delayed by winter’s challenges. Currently being tested and refined, the WRP algorithm is continuously being enhanced and integrated with the widely-used Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) software. Users input their desired start and destination points within TAK, and the WRP algorithm swiftly generates the best possible route. Crucially, the route is then displayed within the TAK interface, alongside a live view of the vehicle’s current position.