MAFFS At Forty

Posted 20 August 2013

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Photo by SrA Nicholas Carzis

The US Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command marked the fortieth anniversary of Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or MAFFS, operations on 20 August 2013, with crews from three of the four MAFFS-equipped C-130 units in action fighting wildfires in three Western US states. Airmen started flying the Congressionally-established MAFFS mission to assist the US Forest Service in wildfire suppression in 1973. As of the anniversary date, crews from the three Guard and one Reserve units had flown 10,294 sorties, logged 10,945 flying hours, and dropped more than 28.2 million gallons of water or retardant. MAFFS units have been activated in twenty-nine fire seasons since 1973. Guard MAFFS crews have fought wildfires in the US, Europe, Africa, and Indonesia.

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