Airmen help in firefighting effort
MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (USTCNS) --- For Capt. Dave Kern, a pilot from the 7th Airlift Squadron, flying soldiers into Montana to fight fires took on a special meaning.
"This mission definitely hits closer to home for me," said Kern, whose family owns 45 acres in Northwest Montana. "It's not often you get to take on a mission with such a direct impact on your family and friends."
Wildfires have already charred more than 4.7 million acres in 12 Western states and 6.2 million acres nationwide this year, more than double the 10-year average, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Montana, declared a disaster area by its governor Aug. 17, has accounted for more than 2,200 wildfires and more than 813,000 acres of scorched earth alone.
Kern's C-17 and three others from McChord Air Force Base helped fly more than 500 soldiers from the Army's 1st Battalion, 321st Artillery from Fort Bragg, N.C., to Montana August 29, in support of fire fighting efforts there. The Fort Bragg soldiers will be fighting fires for 30 days in Kootenae National Forest in the northwest corner of the state.
Three of the McChord C-17 aircrews who delivered the soldiers were active duty from the 62nd Airlift Wing, and the fourth was an Air Force Reserve crew from the 446th Airlift Wing.
To date, 10 McChord aircrews have already shuttled military firefighters in the war against raging wildfires across the western United States this summer. Eight were active-duty crews and two were Air Force Reserve crews. The prior three missions transported Army troops from Fort Hood, Texas, and Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., to Idaho.
Task Force Warrior, the fifth active duty unit sent to help, joined more than 4,600 active duty, reserve and National Guard troops and more than 20,000 civilian firefighters in battling the wildfires in the West.
Firefighters from Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand have also joined in fighting the fires. "Never have we been stretched so thin that we've had to bring in fire management teams from other countries," said J. D. Coleman, a spokesman for the Northern Rockies Coordination Center in Missoula, Mont.
Before being sent to fight the fires, the soldiers received four hours of classroom and hands-on instruction from thirty-five trainers from the National Interagency Firefighting Center in North Carolina August 28. The trainers then deployed with the troops to Montana to provide two more days of training before putting them to work.
This is the first year since 1996 that military support has been necessary in wildland fire suppression.
"It's a good feeling doing something for people in our own country," said Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Barkley, 1st Battalion, 321st Artillery. Barkley admitted that he never thought he'd be fighting fires when he joined the Army, but welcomes the unique opportunity. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
"This mission definitely hits closer to home for me," said Kern, whose family owns 45 acres in Northwest Montana. "It's not often you get to take on a mission with such a direct impact on your family and friends."
Wildfires have already charred more than 4.7 million acres in 12 Western states and 6.2 million acres nationwide this year, more than double the 10-year average, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. Montana, declared a disaster area by its governor Aug. 17, has accounted for more than 2,200 wildfires and more than 813,000 acres of scorched earth alone.
Kern's C-17 and three others from McChord Air Force Base helped fly more than 500 soldiers from the Army's 1st Battalion, 321st Artillery from Fort Bragg, N.C., to Montana August 29, in support of fire fighting efforts there. The Fort Bragg soldiers will be fighting fires for 30 days in Kootenae National Forest in the northwest corner of the state.
Three of the McChord C-17 aircrews who delivered the soldiers were active duty from the 62nd Airlift Wing, and the fourth was an Air Force Reserve crew from the 446th Airlift Wing.
To date, 10 McChord aircrews have already shuttled military firefighters in the war against raging wildfires across the western United States this summer. Eight were active-duty crews and two were Air Force Reserve crews. The prior three missions transported Army troops from Fort Hood, Texas, and Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., to Idaho.
Task Force Warrior, the fifth active duty unit sent to help, joined more than 4,600 active duty, reserve and National Guard troops and more than 20,000 civilian firefighters in battling the wildfires in the West.
Firefighters from Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand have also joined in fighting the fires. "Never have we been stretched so thin that we've had to bring in fire management teams from other countries," said J. D. Coleman, a spokesman for the Northern Rockies Coordination Center in Missoula, Mont.
Before being sent to fight the fires, the soldiers received four hours of classroom and hands-on instruction from thirty-five trainers from the National Interagency Firefighting Center in North Carolina August 28. The trainers then deployed with the troops to Montana to provide two more days of training before putting them to work.
This is the first year since 1996 that military support has been necessary in wildland fire suppression.
"It's a good feeling doing something for people in our own country," said Army Staff Sgt. Justin L. Barkley, 1st Battalion, 321st Artillery. Barkley admitted that he never thought he'd be fighting fires when he joined the Army, but welcomes the unique opportunity. (FROM AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS).
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