FORT HOOD, Texas -- The National Fire Outlook for 2014 is expected to be higher than normal across most of the southwestern states, southern California and Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
To combat this, the Secretary of Defense has authorized the commitment of U.S. forces in a prepare-to-deploy status beginning in July -- including the Air Cav.
Using two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters with high-hoist capabilities and medical evacuation aircrews, the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, is prepared to support U.S. Northern Command, as part of a task force, to conduct firefighting operations if the NIFC requests assistance.
"If there's a wildfire emergency in the U.S., we will be ready to support a BCT [brigade combat team] with air hoist capabilities," said Maj. Kacie Lee, a Waverly, Ohio, native and executive officer for the 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion "Lobos," 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cav. Bde., 1st Cav. Div. "This is something we train for everyday."
Using high-hoist capabilities, air crews have the ability to hoist casualties from the surface to provide treatment and medical evacuation.
Aside from the daily training at Hood Army Airfield, flight crews, aviation medicine teams and other support elements with Company C, 2-227th are scheduled to conduct high-altitude Army aviation training at Fort Carson, Colorado, later this month.
Training, Lee said, that will help hone crews' proficiency.
"The teams we've identified are ready to support and execute the mission," Lee said. "They've prepared their equipment and themselves, so as soon as they're called upon, they can operate independently for up to 30 days.
While supporting USNORTHCOM with the air hoist mission until late fall, the brigade is simultaneously prepared to support the local Fort Hood reservation by being on water bucket standby.
On standby, UH-60 crews with 2-227th and the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion are remaining current on water bucket qualification to ensure Fort Hood remains safe if a fire ignites.
During water qualification, crews practice submerging a 2000-gallon bladder into water and releasing it upon a selected target representing a simulated wildfire.
Fort Hood has already been impacted by wildfires this summer.
"Our two water bucket crews were utilized and validated this summer," said Capt. Ross Gemmill, a native of Minnetonka, Minnesota, and rear detachment commander for Co. C, 2-227th. "They were called to dump water for over five hours on the large fire here on post a few months back. They showed they were fully prepared to execute and did just that."
During the summertime on Fort Hood, if there's a fire, we have crews ready to put them out at a moment's notice," he added.
Gemmill said that despite the high risks for fires this year, he's sure crews within the Air Cav are prepared to assist local fire departments in keeping Fort Hood safe, one 2,000-gallon bucket of water at a time.
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