Washington Guard aviation crews to help fight wildfires

Aviation crews from 1^st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation in the Washington Guard have been preparing for the summer firefighting season.

On 20 July, Washington Army National Guard members working at the Army Aviation Support Facility on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) were asked to help ground crews control a fire that had entered the timber on the edge of the impact area near the Nisqually River.

“Our flight operations received a call from JBLM range control and the US Forest Service requesting water bucket support for a slow-moving fire working across the impact area,” said Major Kevin Robillard, Executive Officer for 1-168th GSAB.

The Guard dispatched a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to the fire location and, two hours later, a CH-47 Chinook. The crews were able to slow the spread of the fire by early evening and deployed again the next morning to drop additional water and help contain the fire.

“We had a number of crews in for training, so we were able to react quickly and provide the requested support,” said Colonel Mitch Sieglock, Commander of 96th Aviation Troop Command and State Aviation Officer for the Washington Army National Guard.

The Washington National Guard did not deploy personnel last year during the wildfire season but maintained 10 trained and equipped 20-person hand crews and UH-60 and CH-47 aviation crews.

“We were very fortunate last year, but we have to continue to be ready for the potential threats of massive wildfires in our state,” said Major General Bret Daugherty, the Adjutant General. “We have shown in the last 10 years the importance of having well-trained and qualified wildland firefighters in the National Guard.”