The 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 135th Regiment, Colorado Army National Guard will carry out water bucket operations at the Chatfield Reservoir in Littleton from Tuesday, June 9 through Friday, June 12 to prepare for the upcoming wildland fire season.
“This proficiency-based, mission-essential training will ensure our flight teams are prepared to respond to wildland fires in Colorado and anywhere our civilian partners require aerial firefighting support,” said State Army Aviation Safety Officer U.S. Army Col. William Gentle.
The training will take place from 8 am to 4 pm, utilizing up to eight helicopters, including LUH-72 Lakota, UH-60 Blackhawk, and CH-47 Chinook which will drop water on stimulated fire sites. This helps to strengthen wildland fire fighting and the assistance of ground forces in real-world scenarios.
Additional agencies that will take part in the training consists of Boulder Fire-Rescue, Buckley Fire & Emergency Services, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Chatfield State Park, and the U.S. Forest Service.
“This event allows aircrews and ground support the ability to train together and build a common operating picture across multiple organizations,” said Gentle.
To learn more about the Colorado National Guard, visit https://co.ng.mil.