PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – U.S. Northern Command
will support wildfire suppression efforts in California and the Northwest
Geographic Area, Sept. 22, at the request of the National Interagency Fire
Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho by providing two Department of Defense C-130 aircraft
equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems
(MAFFS).
The supporting unit flying the MAFFS mission is the 146th
Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard located at Channel Islands Air
National Guard Station, C.A.
Previously, we reported the 145th Airlift Wing, North
Carolina Air National Guard out of Charlotte, N.C. would be the supporting unit
flying the MAFFS mission, but the unit has since changed.
USNORTHCOM provides DOD capabilities for disaster
response operations in support of the Department of Homeland Security / Federal
Emergency Management Agency / National Interagency Fire Center, state and local
officials and continues to closely monitor wildfires to anticipate requests for
DOD assistance.
Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft
assigned to units in California, Colorado, North Carolina and Wyoming are
capable of dropping fire retardant using U.S. Forest Service MAFFS units. Aircrews, maintenance crews and support
personnel undergo special NIFC training and certification to perform these
missions each year.