This year the annual certification and refresher training for the Modular FireFighting System (MAFFS) crews from all four Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve bases will take place at one location, the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in Ventura County, California (map) beginning May 1. That will begin the transition for the Reno base that recently became a MAFFS unit, a process that is expected to take three to five fire seasons according to the National Guard Bureau. The other two MAFFS bases (other than Reno and Channel Islands) are at Cheyenne and Colorado Springs.
The 146th Airlift Wing, below, is based at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in southern California.
#MAFFS unit rolls into back of @146AirliftWing #C130 for next week’s annual firefighting training w/@forestservice pic.twitter.com/g3osPrt0Mx
— 146thAirliftWing (@146AirliftWing) April 28, 2016
I believe that the field exercises are happening on the San Bernardino NF at the SBD tanker base with drops happening in the “jettison area” near Mt. McKinley.