U.S. Army Battles Wildfire, Saves Monastery In Kosovo | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.14.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.15.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.16.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.17.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Thu, Jul 17, 2025

U.S. Army Battles Wildfire, Saves Monastery In Kosovo

Aviation Assets Make 39 Water Drops In 23 Flight Hours

Aviation assets of the U.S. Army’s Kosovo Force Regional Command-East (KFOR RC-E) reacted swiftly and decisively with rapid coordination to respond to a wildfire threatening the centuries-old Serbian Orthodox Devic Monastery located in the Drenica Valley. Over the course of 23 flight hours the team made 39 water drops to stave off the fire’s advance.

With hot and dry conditions across the Balkans, local officials requested the aerial support and the KFOR aviation team responded rapidly with 10 pilots, 11 crew chiefs, and support personnel. Within an hour, a UH-60M was launched. The next morning, additional aircraft arrived equipped with Bambi buckets to engage the fire.

Capt. Gregory Davis, KFOR RC-E Brigade Assistant Operations Officer said, “We understood the importance of supporting the local community upon their request, due to the dry season. We wanted to ensure a coordinated effort between the Institutions of Kosovo, the Kosovo Police, the KFOR RC-E maneuver battalion, and our aviation assets.”

Capt. Timothy Mapley, KFOR RC-E Aviation Operations Officer explained, “We wanted to drop a line of water in front of the fire to stop it from spreading. Strategically, you have to draw a line with water to contain the fire and stop the fire from advancing.”

The primary mission of the aerial firefighting was to protect the monastery, which was founded in 1434 and is a sacred site that holds deep spiritual and historical importance for the Serbian Orthodox community and the wider region.

Capt. Mapley added, “Given the monastery’s cultural significance, it was a high-priority mission.”

FMI:  www.dvidshub.net/

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.15.25): Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach

Charted Visual Flight Procedure Approach An approach conducted while operating on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan which authorizes the pilot of an aircraft to proceed >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.15.25)

“When l became the Secretary of Defense, I committed to rebuild our military to match threats to capabilities. Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.15.25)

Aero Linx: Stearman Restorers Association Welcome to the Stearman Restorers Association. The Stearman Restorers Association is an independent “Not for Profit” 501C-3 Co>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Kjelsrud Gary Kitfox

Airplane Exhibited A Partial Loss Of Engine Power When It Was About Halfway Down The Runway Analysis: The pilot of the experimental amateur-built airplane was departing from his pr>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Cessna A150L

The Flight Path Was Consistent With Low-Altitude Maneuvering On June 18, 2025, about 0922 mountain standard time, a Cessna A150L airplane, N6436F, was substantially damaged when it>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC