PETERSON SPACE FORE BASE, Colo. -- The Air Force Reserve’s 302d Airlift Wing was activated July 11 to provide aerial firefighting support on the west coast.
At the request of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) and directed by U.S. Northern Command, the 302 AW activated one of its C-130H Hercules aircraft equipped with the U.S. Forest Service-owned Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems commonly known as MAFFS. The aircraft, callsign MAFFS 2, proceeded to San Bernardino, Calif., where it began operating and providing support to ground firefighting crews.
NIFC coordinates assets across the country for the federal wildland firefighting response. Positioning the 302 AW MAFFS in California enables NIFC to maintain the continuity of other aerial assets already engaged in Colorado without disrupting operations or repositioning them. The strategic placement of MAFFS aircraft delivers immediate, surge-capable aerial firefighting support to interagency partners during periods of high regional activity. MAFFS-equipped C-130s stand ready to augment the civilian airtanker fleet only when commercial resources are fully committed, ensuring specialized military assets are strictly reserved for critical-need scenarios.
The 302 AW is the only Air Force Reserve unit assigned to this special mission. A MAFFS unit can discharge water or fire retardant - 3,000 gallons weighing 27,000 pounds - in less than five seconds. The retardant can cover an area one-quarter of a mile long and 100 feet wide. After the plane discharges its load, it can be refilled in less than 12 minutes back at the tanker base.
When requested by the NIFC and approved by the Secretary of War, the Department of War can provide unique wildland firefighting assets. As part of USNORTHCOM’s assigned Defense Support of Civil Authorities mission, these diverse mission assets are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to minimize human suffering, protect lives, property, critical infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources. As U.S. Northern Command's air component, Air Forces Northern (AFNORTH) oversees the MAFFS Air Expeditionary Group when it is activated for wildland firefighting missions.
In addition to the 302nd Airlift Wing, three Air National Guard units support MAFFS: the 146 AW in Channel Islands, Air National Guard Base, California; the 152 AW based in Reno, Nevada; and the 153 AW based at Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The 302 AW’s primary mission is to provide world-class airlift and combat support with approximately 1,400 premier Reserve Airmen who are committed and ready.
For more information on the web: http://www.nifc.gov; http://www.northcom.mil; https://www.petersonschriever.spaceforce.mil/About-Us/302d-Airlift-Wing/.
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USAF. (U.S. Air Force Graphic by Rosario "Charo" Gutierrez)