JANUARY 14, 2025 – The National Guard is part of a multi-agency response to the historic wildfires across the Los Angeles Basin and Southern California. Over the weekend, Guard members took to the sky to help extinguish the flames.
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, and Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, visited Channel Islands Air National Guard Station Jan. 11 to meet with the Guard members on duty. Channel Islands — some 60 miles northwest of Hollywood — is serving as a hub for Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems, or MAFFS, aircraft and personnel.
“We mourn the loss of life caused by these terrible fires,” Nordhaus said. “Our hearts and prayers are also with the Californians who have lost their homes and treasured possessions.
“Thank you for answering the call to help your neighbors and communities and the people of California,” he told the Guard members. “You are delivering on our promise to America to be Always Ready, Always There.”
The Defense Department, at the request of the National Interagency Fire Center, is posturing and positioning capabilities and resources, including people, aircraft and other equipment, to support recovery efforts in the Los Angeles area.
About 2,500 Guardsmen from California, Nevada and Wyoming are on duty working with local, state and federal agencies across Southern California.
On Jan. 10, U.S. Northern Command activated eight C-130 MAFFS-equipped aircraft and associated personnel. All eight MAFFS planes are now operational.
The aircraft come from the California Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing based on Channel Islands Air Station, the Nevada Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing and 192nd Airlift Squadron, the Wyoming Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing and 187th Airlift Squadron, and the Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing and 731st Airlift Squadron, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
These units represent the entirety of the Air Force’s MAFFS-equipped wings and form an Air Expeditionary Group, which supports large-scale wildland firefighting efforts nationwide.
The MAFFS planes fly into fire-ravaged areas, guided by U.S. Forest Service piloted aircraft, and can drop 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in about 5 seconds from a tube on the aircraft’s left side. Military C-130s that can be converted into air tankers provide a critical surge capability that can bolster aerial firefighting operations.
MAFFS began in the early 1970s as a joint effort between the Forest Service and the DOD to produce the equipment, training and operational procedures to integrate military air tankers into a national firefighting response.
Flying MAFFS missions is challenging, requiring extensive training and precision, said Air Force Col. Shawna Pavey, the California Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing commander.
MAFFS planes are identifiable by blaze-orange markings applied by Air Force maintenance personnel.
The C-130 MAFFS aircraft undergo significant reconfiguration, with specific components removed and others installed, Pavey said. Then, the MAFFS unit must be installed and connected to the aircraft. This necessitates more operational, weight and balance checks and a test fire of the MAFFS system.
“This requires a lot of coordination between very specialized shops, and it all takes time,” Pavey said. “But our Airmen know the importance and impact of this mission and they worked until the aircraft were ready.”
She said 146th Wing personnel labored around the clock to ready the wing’s two MAFFS planes within 24 hours, a testament to the significance of this disaster.
“The men and women of the 146th Airlift Wing are members of this community,” Pavey said. “We, our families and our friends live here. Many of our Airmen are also local firefighters, police officers and first responders.
“We have members who have been evacuated, and friends and family displaced by the fires,” she said. “The MAFFS mission is not just another mission for anyone here. It is personal and incredibly meaningful. The Airmen of the 146th are proud to partner with state and federal agencies to save lives and property through this work, impacting our own and so many other communities, families and homes in California and beyond.”
Additional Cal Guard military hand crews have joined the firefighting efforts. These hand crews, alongside military police, aircrews flying helicopters and the C-130 aircraft, are supporting interagency partners under the direction of CAL FIRE and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
California Guardsmen assisting on the ground include members of the 330th Military Police Company and the 40th Military Police Company, 49th Military Police Brigade. They are working with local law enforcement to support communities affected by the wildfires.
“Your work is making a difference,” Nordhaus told the Guard members. “You are multiplying the efforts of our civilian partners. We are a community-based force, and we are here for our communities in their times of greatest tragedy and need.”
“We understand this will be a long response and recovery effort,” Raines said. “We are so proud of all you do. Please look out for one another, make sure you are taking care of yourself, your fellow Airmen and your families.”
The National Guard Bureau facilitates communication between the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, state governments, combatant commands and interagency partners.
C. Todd Lopez, DOD News, the California National Guard and United States Northern Command Public Affairs contributed to this story.
By Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely
National Guard Bureau