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PETERSON SFB, Colo. – U.S. Northern Command has activated eight C-130 aircraft equipped with Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) and associated personnel to relocate from their home stations to the Channel Islands in Southern California to support firefighting efforts in the Los Angeles area. Some of the aircraft will be operational beginning Jan. 10, with all ready by or before Jan. 12.
The MAFFS-equipped aircraft are coming from the 146th Airlift Wing in California, 152nd Airlift Wing and 192nd Airlift Squadron in Nevada, 153rd Airlift Wing and 187th Airlift Squadron in Wyoming, and the 302nd Airlift Wing and 731st Airlift Squadron in Colorado. MAFFS began in 1971 as a joint effort between the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Defense to produce the equipment, training, and operational procedures to integrate military air tankers into a national firefighting response.
“U.S. Northern Command immediately took action as we watched and learned more about the fires in the Los Angeles area. Providing support to civil authorities is a valued part of our homeland defense mission. We’re well-practiced and in position to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Interagency Firefighting Center (NIFC), and the state of California to assist the many citizens in need,” said General Gregory Guillot, Commander of U.S. Northern Command.
March Air Reserve Base, located in Riverside County, California, has been designated as a FEMA Incident Support Base to support disaster operations in the forward distribution of supplies and equipment.
Additionally, if requested, U.S. Northern Command is prepared to provide rotary wing support, ground and air search and rescue, commodity distribution, emergency route clearance, incident awareness and assessment, and medical capabilities.
USNORTHCOM deters, detects, and defeats threats to the United States, conducts security cooperation activities with allies and partners, and supports civil authorities.