An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | May 10, 2010

Soldiers train on Bambi bucket to fight fires in Kosovo

By Sgt. Joshua Dodds North Dakota National Guard

GJAKOVA/DJAKOVICA, Kosovo, - Multinational Battle Group East aviation Soldiers carried the water, literally, as they tested their firefighting skills recently at Lake Radonjicko.

The training took place in the Italian area of operations in Multinational Battle Group West. A nearby airport served as a staging area and the Italian Air Force provided support.

Capt. Daniel Lee, 2-151st Security and Support Battalion of the South Carolina National Guard said multiple air crews were trained during the three-day period.

The crews used a UH-60 Blackhawk and a Bambi bucket to lift 76 loads of water, each containing about 600 gallons.

"It collects water and disburses it on fires, mostly to put out hot spots," said 1st Sgt. Larry Taylor, the senior enlisted Soldier with Detachment 1, Bravo Company, 777th ASB of the South Carolina Guard.

The aviation element of MNBG E is a combination of four company-sized elements, 2-151st Security and Support Battalion from South Carolina, the 1-777th Aviation Support Battalion from Virginia, and from Kentucky: the 2-147th Aviation Battalion and a detachment of the 1-169th Aviation Battalion-MEDEVAC.

The training allowed the flight crews to sharpen their skills. Understanding how to use the Bambi Bucket can be used to potentially assist the people in Kosovo in a fire emergency, and the crews will also be able to use their skills when they return to the U.S. to help their neighbors and fellow citizens.

"This training was conducted to familiarize new Soldiers and to be a refresher for some of the crews who completed this training prior to mobilization," Taylor said.

Though the training lasted three days, it was day one that posed the biggest challenge.

"The buckets are slightly different here, and they have a slightly different mechanism for letting the water out with a 'Torrentula' valve," said Sgt. Jeremy S. Knight, a crew chief with Bravo Company, 2-147th. "It dumps different and takes on water a little different, but it was nothing we couldn't quickly adjust to after a couple of runs."

Flight crews on a Blackhawk helicopter worked together to coordinate the operation of the Bambi Bucket to ensure the safety of the crew and equipment, as well as those on the ground.

Fire fighters on the ground or from the air often give guidance to the pilot where the water needs to be dropped and the pilot relays to the crew chief when to drop the water, said Knight. The directions ensure that the crew drops the water load in the correct place, which in some cases, could be a location where ground firefighters may be trapped.

 

 

Related Articles
Colorado Army National Guard crew chiefs U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Wade Shore (left) and Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Hubbard (right), High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site, perform maintenance on their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, in Gypsum, Colorado, July 23, 2025. Both Soldiers participated in a dangerous nighttime rescue that set the record for the highest hoist ever conducted in Colorado, saving two hikers who had become caught in a storm and were struck by lightning. The crew flew at approximately 14,200 feet above sea level, beating the previous record of around 13,700 feet by a military aircraft in Colorado.
Colorado National Guard Aircrew Breaks Record for Hoist Rescue
By Staff Sgt. Josiah Pugh, | July 25, 2025
GYPSUM, Colo. – Members of a Colorado Army National Guard Black Hawk aircrew tested their skill and pushed their helicopter’s performance to its limits during a dangerous nighttime rescue that set the record for the highest...

An Ohio National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter repairer assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment, does in-flight inspections during a flight to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, July 14, 2025. The operation highlighted collaboration between Army and Air National Guard units, strengthening inter-branch coordination that is essential for mission success in both domestic and deployed settings.
178th Wing Scores in Top 5% of Total Force in Combat Readiness Inspection
By Shane Hughes, | July 24, 2025
SPRINGFIELD-BECKLEY AIR GUARD STATION, Ohio - The Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing scored in the top 5% of all Air Force wings in a Combat Readiness Inspection completed July 17 at the Springfield-Beckley Air National...

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the Kentucky Army National Guard participate in a radio communications knowledge exchange with Djiboutian soldiers at the Djiboutian signal corps compound in Djibouti City, Djibouti, July 14, 2025. The State Partnership Program conducts military-to-military engagements in support of U.S. defense and security goals, facilitating cooperation across all levels of international civil-military affairs, and encouraging relationship building at the state level.
Kentucky Guard, Djibouti Military Partner on Cyber, Radio Exchange
By Staff Sgt. Marcus Hardy-Bannerman, | July 24, 2025
DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti - In the East Africa region where a single breached network can ripple across borders, Djiboutian soldiers and the Kentucky Army National Guard as well as other U.S. service members spent four focused...