RENO, NV –
RENO, NV -- Aircrews with the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing recently returned from fighting wildfires in Oregon, Nevada and Idaho, which marked its first activation operating the U.S. Forest Service's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System.
"Nevada [Air Guard] crews have fully embraced the MAFFS mission and are committed to getting full up as quickly and safely as possible," said Air Force Col. David Herder, deputy commander of the air expeditionary group overseeing MAFFS operations. "They have been stepping in to get training with the other units whenever possible [and] have been a welcome addition to the MAFFS community.”
The 152nd AW was assigned the mission in April, making it the newest Air Guard unit to support the MAFFS mission. The unit is one of four Air Guard units and one Air Force Reserve unit that fly the mission.
During the month-long activation the expeditionary group flew 142 sorties dispensing more than 3.5 million pounds of retardant on 165 drops. Aircrews from the 152nd AW, known as the "High Rollers," primarily augmented other units to gain experience and meet certification requirements.
"The actual drops have been challenging and exhilarating," said Air Force Lt. Col. Tony Machabee, acting commander of the 152nd Operations Group and the first member of the unit to co-pilot a MAFFS mission. "It's a great feeling to see your immediate results whether we are dropping a protective line of retardant between the fire and someone's property or dropping [fire retardant] directly on flames leaping from the tops of trees in an effort to slow the fire's progress."
Since 1974, MAFFS—a high-speed fire retardant delivery system inserted into C-130 Hercules aircraft—has been a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Defense. The Forest Service owns the MAFFS equipment and supplies ground crews and retardant for fire fighting, while the Department of Defense provides the aircraft, flight crews, maintenance and support personnel to fly missions.
The equipment can discharge up to 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds, covering an area one-quarter of a mile long and 60-feet wide. Once discharged, it can be refilled and airborne in less than 12 minutes.