Video by Master Sgt. Amber Monio
The Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing recently completed their annual weeklong Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or MAFFS, certification training at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, California.
The military aircrews were guided by U.S. Forest Service lead plane pilots into a flight pattern to drop water along a simulated fire line. Once certified, these C-130 crews can be called upon to support the Forest Service in aerial firefighting when civilian crews are overtasked.
Throughout the week, the Guard members flew a total of 53 sorties totaling nearly 78 hours of flight time, while dropping 102,500 gallons of water over 242 practice drops.
Ground crews consisting of personnel from several federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Cal Fire, and others also participated in the certification training.
A second iteration of the training is scheduled for May and will be attended by the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing and the Air Force Reserves 302nd Airlift Wing from Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado.
(U.S. Air National Guard video by Master Sgt. Garrett Wake; edited by Master Sgt. Amber Monio)