Air Force support of Texas wildfires continues

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas: A wildfire burns land near Austin, Texas, April 17, 2011. U.S. Northern Command has deployed six C-130 aircraft fitted with the U.S. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System to Texas to support the fight against ongoing wildfires. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton Russ)

Air Force support of Texas wildfires continues

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas: A C-130 from the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., equipped with a U.S.D.A. Forest Service Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System flies toward a wildfire west of Austin, Texas, April 17. Six MAFFS C-130s, deployed by U.S. Northern Command to Texas, have conducted several aerial firefighting missions over the Texas fires in the past two days. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton Russ)

Firefighting operations continue in Texas

Airmen from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing gather at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas to prepare for wildfire fighting operations, April 18, 2011. The Airmen maintain and operate the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) housed aboard a C-130 Hercules which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Firefighting operations continue in Texas

Airmen from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing gather at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas to prepare for wildfire fighting operations, April 18, 2011. The Airmen maintain and operate the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) housed aboard a C-130 Hercules which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

AFRC commander visits unit

A C-130H delivers a powerful blast of water Nov. 12, 2008, during a modular airborne firefighting system demonstration in Lincoln County, Colo. Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., used the MAFFS demonstration as part of a close-up look at the wing by Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr., AFRC commander. The general also met with Airmen in the wing for a question-and-answer session. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen Collier)

AFRC commander sees 'MAFFS' first hand

A C-130H delivers a powerful blast of water Nov. 12 during a modular airborne firefighting system, or 'MAFFS' demonstration in Lincoln County, Colo. The demonstration was part of an up-close look of the 302nd Airlift Wing during a visit with Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner, Jr., commander of Air Force Reserve Command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen Collier)