National Guard Deploys Eight MAFFS-Equipped C-130s

As wildfires devastated the Los Angeles area, the National Guard deployed more than 2,700 air and ground crew members to assist in response efforts. The branch has used specialized aircraft, including C-130s equipped with Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS), to slow the fire’s spread.

“Basically, we provide an aerial firefighting capability, again, in support of civil assets,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matt Schwegel, a C-130 pilot with the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing.

Each MAFFS unit can release up to 3,200 gallons of fire retardant or water in a single drop, covering a wide swath of burning terrain in seconds. However, doing so requires intricate flying and combat-level skills due to its tight operational parameters.

“It’s a rush,” said Schwegel. “Our performance envelope is extremely tight. On this, we’re within 10 to 20 knots of our stall speed, we’re max gross weight, and on the drop, we’re 150 feet-ish off the terrain, which is about half of the altitude of a normal tactical airdrop that we do as part of our combat airlift mission set.”

The 146th Airlift Wing of the California Air National Guard and the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard also contributed to these efforts. All eight of its MAFFS-equipped aircraft were activated for the mission.

“It’s our opportunity to actually make a difference and help out,” Schwegel continued. “It’s gratifying to be a part of that, to be able to do something and not stay in Nevada and just watch it transpire when you know you have a capability and a skill set to help."

While air operations were instrumental in slowing the fires, Guard members on the ground played a crucial role in cleanup and fire prevention tasks. Task Force Rattlesnake, a joint effort between the California National Guard and CALFIRE, focused on mop-up operations to ensure that embers were put out and fire lines were remediated to prevent post-fire erosion.

The integration of military precision with CALFIRE’s expertise proved effective. “Because CALFIRE is a paramilitary organization, working with the military just seems to work,” said CALFIRE Capt. Albert Galli. “They already have a lot of the knowledge and the experience, not in firefighting, but in life experience and combat training.”

FMI: www.nationalguard.mil