April 17, 2011

AFNORTH responds to Texas wildfires

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Under the direction of the Joint Forces Air Component Commander for Air Forces Northern here, four C-130 Hercules aircraft equipped with fire fighting capabilities will deploy to respond to the wildfires that are plaguing South Texas.The C-130s will base their operations at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene,

July 21, 2010

Guard members respond to brush fires in California

ARLINGTON, Va.– Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems 2 aircraft from the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing at Channel Island ANG Station, Calif., responded to a fire July 15 in Riverside County, Calif.Guard officials said the unit was requested by the U.S. Forest Service through the National Interagency Fire Center after

May 3, 2010

UAS training to aid in disasters

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska. –When an earthquake or other natural disaster strikes, communication is vital. Without it, emergency responders often have no way of knowing the extent of the damage or even where to send help. During Arctic Edge 10, a training exercise, employees from the Poker Flat Research Range at the University of Alaska

April 26, 2010

Reserve, Guard crews train for aerial firefighting in South Carolina

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard aircrews are attending annual aerial firefighting training in Greenville, S.C., this week as part of their annual certification. More than 400 aircrew members are participating in the Modular Airborne Firefighting System training through May 1 at the South Carolina Technology

Aug. 21, 2009

Indiana TAG Tours NORAD AND USNORTHCOM

NORAD and U.S. NORTHCOM, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.-- The head of the Indiana National Guard was here August 17 thorugh 21 to tour the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U. S. Northern Command to gain insight into the roles and responsibilities of NORAD and USNORTHCOM in preparation for Indiana’s upcoming stand-up of a Chemical,

May 15, 2009

DHS Secretary visits NORAD, USNORTHCOM

Secretary of Homeland Defense Janet Napolitano, visited North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command yesterday to receive briefings and discuss the current status and future goals of both organizations with General Gene Renuart, commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM.Napolitano provided unique insights into the new

March 20, 2009

Commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM testifies before Armed Services Committees

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command gave "state of the commands" testimony March 17 and 18 in Washington, D.C., to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.  General Gene Renuart outlined the missions of both NORAD and USNORTHCOM, specifically stating, “Homeland

Feb. 19, 2009

USNORTHCOM, National Guard and interagency planners prepare for 2009 hurricane season

HILTON HEAD, S.C. (2/19/09) – One team, one fight is the mantra for local, state and federal leaders preparing for a 2009 hurricane season that forecasters say could include nine major storms.“If that forecast is even close to being accurate, the timing of this [workshop] is vital to us being ready,” said Gen. Craig McKinley, the chief of the

Feb. 11, 2009

Command visit prompts tech upgrade

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – A command visit to the Joint Task Force-Space Transportation System, operations center prompted a major overhaul in the force tracking system used during space shuttle launches.During previous shuttle launches, Air Forces Northern commander Maj. Gen. Hank Morrow„s rescue teams, tracked the location of task force

Feb. 5, 2009

ARNORTH, FEMA host conference on nuclear terrorism

“The greatest danger to the American people is the threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon,” states the President’s foreign policy agenda published by the White House Jan. 21.This fact is an everyday reality for the men and women of U.S. Army North at Fort Sam Houston.The headquarters, commonly referred to as simply ARNORTH, is

Feb. 2, 2009

California has wheels up for new airborne firefighting system

ARLINGTON, Va. (Jan. 30, 2009) – A long anticipated upgrade to the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) that’s used to battle the nation's wildfires was recently approved for operational use.MAFFS II was approved for use on the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft, according Air Guard officials

July 23, 2008

302nd AEG is prepared to conduct California wild fire support operations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Aircraft of the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group are prepared to conduct their 30th day of aerial firefighting support missions July 22 in a coordinated effort to control wildfires in California.Monday, the 302nd AEG military aviation assets performed a total of two air drops delivering 5,600 gallons of fire retardant. For the

July 22, 2008

ARTs support MAFFS mission

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A little known aspect of the Air Force Reserve is playing an important role in supporting the modular airborne firefighting system equipped-C-130s that are helping to control the wildfires in California.Air Force Reserve Technicians or ARTS deployed with the 302nd Airlift Wing out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. and are

July 22, 2008

302nd AEG conducts its twenty ninth day of California wild fire support

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Aircraft of the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group conducted their 29th day of aerial firefighting support missions July 21 in a coordinated effort to control wildfires in California.Sunday, the 302nd AEG military aviation assets performed a total of 17 air drops delivering 47,600 gallons of fire retardant. For the current fire

July 21, 2008

Some DoD, USNORTHCOM air assets, personnel redeploy as MAFFs continue to help contain California fires

Eight U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy Reserve helicopters are returning to their home stations in California following several weeks of fighting wildland fires in California.At the request of the State of California, and using existing agreements with the Department of Defense, the National Interagency Fire Center requested the federal military