SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
As temperatures heated up in northern California, aerial firefighters from four C-130 airlift wings operating the U.S. Forest Service‘s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System began a weeklong training exercise here April 23.
The training, sponsored by the Forest Service at McClellan Reload Base in Sacramento, includes four military airlift wings that make up the air expeditionary group: three Air National Guard units from California, Nevada and Wyoming, and one Air Force Reserve unit from Colorado.
“Training with all four MAFFS wings alongside the U.S. Forest Service, [the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection] and other wildland firefighting agencies here in Sacramento provides a significant opportunity as we prepare for wildland fire season,” said Air Force Col. James DeVere, commander of the MAFFS Air Expeditionary Group and the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing.
Protecting Citizens, Property
“Training collectively ensures overall standardization of operations while continuing to build working relationships with the key players in the wildland firefighting community,” DeVere said. “It is rewarding as Guardsmen and reservists to stand alongside our agency partners, knowing that we help make a difference protecting our citizens and their property.”
The Forest Service's MAFFS equipment — rolled into the back of a C-130…
